^  *  * 


J 


/ 


HISTORY 


OF  THl 


Ottawa  and  Ghippewa  Indians 


OF  MICHIGAN ; 


A  GRAMMAR  OF  THEIR  LAN&UAGE, 

AND  PERSONAL  AND  FAMILY  HISTORY  OF  THE  AUTHOR, 


By  ANDREW  J.  BLACKBIRD, 

Late  U.  S.  Interpreter,        Harbor  Springs,  Emmet  Co.,  Mich. 


YPSILANTI,  MICH.: 

THE  YPSILANTIAN  JOB   PRINTINO   HOUSE. 
1887. 


01-nQ^e/^h,  ^}Z 


Entered  according  to  act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1887, 

By  Andrew  J.  Blackbird, 

In  the  office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


INTRODUCTION. 


Andrew  J.  Blackbird,  the  author  of  this  little  book,  is  an 
educated  Indian,  son  of  the  Ottawa  Ciiief.  His  Indian  name  is 
Mack-aw-de-be-nessy  (Black  Hawk),  but  he  generally  goes  by  the 
name  of  "Blackbird,"  taken  from  the  interpretation  of  the  French 
"L'Oiseau  noir."  Mr.  Blackbird's  wife  is  an  educated  and  intel- 
telligent  white  woman  of  English  descent,  and  they  have  four 
children.  He  is  a  friend  of  the  white  people,  as  well  as  of  his 
own  people.  Brought  up  as  an  Indian,  with  no  opportunity  for 
learning  during  his  boyhood,  when  he  came  to  think  for  himself, 
he  started  out  blindly  for  an  education,  without  any  means  but 
his  brains  and  his  hands. 

He  was  loyal  to  the  Government  during  the  rebellion  in  the 
United  States,  for  which  cause  he  met  much  opposition  by  de- 
signing white  people,  who  had  full  sway  among  the  Indians,  and 
who  tried  to  mislead  them  and  cause  them  to  be  disloyal ;  and 
he  broke  up  one  or  two  rebellious  councils  amongst  his  people 
during  the  progress  of  the  rebellion. 

When  Hon.  D.  C.  Leach,  of  Traverse  City,  Mich.,  was  Indian 
Agent,  Mr.  Blackbird  was  appointed  United  States  Interpreter  and 
continued  in  this  office  with  other  subsequent  Agents  of  the  De- 
partment for  many  years.    Before  he  was  fairly  out  of  this  office, 

>![    he  was  appointed  postmaster  of  Little  Traverse,  now  Harbor 

y     Springs,  Mich.,  and  faithfully  discharged  his  duties  as  such  for 

\^    over  eleven  years  with  but  ^ry  little  salary. 

';,        He  has  also  for  several  years  looked  after  the  soldiers'  claims 

for  widows  and  orphans,  V  oth  for  the  whites  as  well  as  for  his 

'    own  people,  in  many  instances  without  the  least  compensation, 

not  even  his  stamps  and  paper  paid.    He  is  now  decrepit  with 


4 


4  *  INTRODUCTION. 

old  age  and  failing  health,  and  unable  to  perform  hard  manual 
labor. 

We  therefore  recommend  this  work  of  Mr.  A.  J.  Blackbird  as 
interesting  and  reliable. 

James  L.  Morricb, 

Treasurer  of  Emmet  County. 

C.  F.  Newkirk, 

:     Principal  Harbor  Springs  Public  Schools. 

Charles  R.  Wright, 

Ex- President  Harbor  Spnngs. 

Charles  W.  Ingalls, 

Notary  Public  for  Emmet  Co. 

•    Albert  L.  Hathaway, 

County  Clerk,  Emmet  County. 

Wm.  H.  Lee, 

Probate  Clerk  and  Abstractor  of  Titles. 

Arch.  D.  Metz, 

•  Deputy  Register  of  Deeds. 

'     WiLLARD  P.  Gibson, 

>"■' Pastor  Presbyterian  Church. 

William  H.  Miller,  U.  8.  A. 


PREFACE. 


I  deem  it  not  improper  to  present  the  history  of  the  last  race 
of  Indians  now  existing  in  the  State  of  Michigan,  called  the  Ot- 
tawa and  Chippewa  Ndtions  of  Indians. 

There  were  many  other  tribes  of  Indians  in  this  region  prior 
to  the  occupancy  of  the  Ottawa  and  Chippewa  Indians  of  this 
State,  who  have  long  ago  gone  out  of  existence.  Not  a  page  of 
their  history  is  on  record ;  but  only  an  allusion  to  them  in  our 
traditions. 

I  have  herewith  recorded  the  earliest  history  of  the  Ottawa 
tribe  of  Indians  in  particular,  according  to  their  traditions.  I 
have  related  where  they  formerly  lived,  the  names  of  their  lead- 
ers, and  what  tribes  they  contended  with  before  and  after  they 
came  to  Michigan,  and  how  they  came  to  be  the  inhabitants  of 
this  State.  Also  the  earliest  history  of  the  Island  of  Mackinac, 
and  why  it  is  called  "  Michilimackinac  " — which  name  has  never 
been  correctly  translated  by  white  historians,  but  which  is  here 
given  according  to  our  knowledge  of  this  matter  long  before  we 
came  in  contact  with  white  races. 

I  have  also  recorded  some  of  the  most  important  legends,  which 
resemble  the  Bible  history ;  particularly  the  legends  with  regard 
to  the  great  flood,  which  has  been  in  our  language  for  many 
centuries,  and  the  legend  of  the  great  fish  which  swallowed  the 
prophet  Ne-naw-bo-zhoo,  who  came  out  again  alive,  which  might 
be  considered  as  corresponding  to  the  story  of  Jonah  in  the  Sacred 
History. 

Beside  my  own  personal  and  our  family  history,  I  have  also, 
quite  extensively,  translated  our  language  into  English  and  added 
many  other  items  which  might  be  interesting  to  all  who  may 
wish  to  inquire  into  our  history  and  language. 

Ai^DRKW  J.  Blackbird. 


ACKNOWLEDGMENT. 


The  Ypsilanti  Auxiliary  of  the  Women's  National  Indian  As- 
sociation, by  whose  efEorts  this  book  is  published,  take  this  op- 
portunity to  express  earnest  thanks  to  those  who  have  aided  in 
this  work. 

Most  generous  donations  of  money  from  friends  of  Indians 
and  equally  valuable  liberality  from  publishers  and  papermakers 
have  made  possible  the  preservation  of  this  most  rare  and  im- 
portant history.  V  ; 

This  is  the  only  instance  where  a  native  Indian  has  recorded 
the  story  of  his  people  and  given  a  grammar  of  their  language ; 
thus  producing  a  work  whose  immense  value,  as  an  account  of  a 
race  and  a  language  already  passing  into  oblivion,  will  become 
even  more  inestimable  with  the  lapse  of  time. 

Ypsilanti,  Mich.,  Oct.,  1887. 


CHAPTER  I. 

History  of  the  Ottawas  of  Michigan — Preliminary  Remarks  in  Regard 
to  Other  Histories,  Concerning  the  Massacre  of  the  Old  British 
Fort  on  the  Straits  of  Mackinac — British  Promise  to  the  Ottawaa — 
Ravages  of  Small  Pox — Firbt  Recollection  of  the  Country  of  Ar- 
hor-Croche  and  Its  Definition — Uprightness  and  Former  Charac- 
ter of  the  Indians. 

I  have  seen  a  number  of  writings  by  different  men  who  at- 
tempted to  give  an  account  of  tlie  Indians  who  formerly  occupied 
the  Straits  of  Mackinac  and  Mackinac  Island,  (that  historic  little 
island  which  stands  at  the  entrance  of  the  strait,)  also  giving  an 
account  of  the  Indians  wlio  lived  and  are  yet  living  in  Michigan, 
scattered  through  the  counties  of  Emmet,  Cheboygan,  Charlevoix, 
Antrim,  Grand  Traverse,  and  in  the  region  of  Thunder  Bay,  on 
the  west  shore  of  Lake  Huron.  But  I  see  no  very  correci  account 
of  the  Ottawa  and  Chippewa  tribes  of  Indians,  according  to  our 
knowledge  of  ourselves,  past  and  present.  Many  points  are  far 
from  being  credible.  They  are  either  misstated  by  persons  who 
were  not  versed  in  the  traditions  of  these  Indians,  or  exaggerated. 
An  instance  of  this  is  found  in  the  history  of  the  life  of  ±*ontiac 
(pronounced  Bwon-diac),  the  Odjebwe  (or  Chippewa)  chief  of  St. 
Clair,  the  instigator  of  the  massacre  of  the  old  fort  on  the  Straits 
of  Mackinac,  written  by  a  noted  historian.  In  his  account  of 
the  massacre,  he  says  there  was  at  this  time  no  known  surviving 
Ottawa  Chief  living  on  the  south  side  of  the  Straits.  This  point 
of  the  history  is  incorrect,  as  there  were  several  Ottawa  chiefs 
living  on  the  south  side  of  the  Straits  at  this  particular  time,  who 
took  no  part  in  this  massacre,  but  took  by  force  the  few  survivors 
of  this  great,  disastrous  catastrophe,  and  protected  them  for  a 
while  and  afterwards  took  them  to  Montreal,  presenting  them  to 
the  British  Government;  at  the  same  time  praying  that  their  bro- 


) 


8  THE  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

ther  Odjebwes  should  not  be  retaliated  upon  on  account  of  their 
rash  act  against  the  British  people,  but  that  they  might  be  par- 
doned, as  this  terrible  tragedy  was  committed  through  mistake, 
and  through  the  evil  counsel  of  one  of  their  leaders  by  the  name 
of  Bwondiac  (known  in  history  as  Pontiac).  They  told  the  Brit- 
ish Government  that  their  brother  Odjebwes  were  few  in  number, 
while  the  British  were  in  great  numbers  and  daily  increasing 
from  an  unknown  part  of  the  world  across  the  ocean.  They  said, 
"  Oh,  my  father,  you  are  like  the  trees  of  the  forest,  and  if  one  of 
the  forest  trees  should  be  wounded  with  a  hatchet,  in  a  few  years 
its  wound  will  be  entirely  healed.  Now,  my  father,  compare 
with  this:  this  is  what  my  br«ither  Odjebwe  did  to  some  of  your 
children  on  the  Straits  of  Mackinac,  whose  survivors  we  now 
bring  back  and  present  to  your  arms.  O  my  father,  have  mercy 
upon  my  brothers  and  pardon  them ;  for  with  your  long  arms  and 
manv,  but  a  few  strokes  of  retaliation  would  cause  our  brother  to 
be  entirely  annihilated  from  the  face  of  the  earth !  " 

According  to  our  understanding  in  our  traditions,  that  was  the 
time  the  British  Government  made  such  extraordinary  promises 
to  the  Ottawa  tribe  of  Indians,  at  the  same  time  thanking  them 
for  their  humane  action  upon  those  British  remnants  of  the  mas- 
sacre. She  promised  them  that  her  long  arms  will  perpetually 
extend  around  them  from  generation  to  generation,  or  so  long  as 
there  should  be  rolling  sun.  They  should  receive  gifts  from  her 
sovereign  in  shape  of  goods,  provisions,  firearms,  ammunition, 
and  intoxicating  liquors !  Her  sovereign's  beneflpent  arm  should 
be  even  extended  unto  the  dogs  belonging  to  the  Ottawa  tribe  of 
Indians.  And  what  place  soever  she  should  meet  them,  she  would 
freely  unfasten  the  faucet  which  contains  her  living  water — whis- 
ky, which  she  will  also  cause  to  run  perpetually  and  freely  unto 
the  Ottawas  as  the  fountain  of  perpetual  spring  1  And  further- 
more :  she  said,  "  I  am  as  many  as  the  stars  in  the  heavens ;  and 
when  you  get  up  in  the  morning,  look  to  the  east ;  you  will  see 
that  the  sun,  as  it  will  peep  through  the  earth,  will  be  as  red  as 


INDIANS  OF  MICHIGAN.  9 

my  coat,  to  remind  you  why  I  am  likened  unto  the  sun,  and  my 
promises  will  be  as  perpetual  as  the  rolling  sun  1 " 

Ego-me-nay — Coi;n-hanger — was  the  head  counselor  and  speak- 
er of  the  Ottawa  tribe  of  Indians  at  that  time,  and,  according  to 
our  knowledge,  Ego-me-nay  was  the  leading  one  who  went  with 
those  survivors  of  the  massacre,  and  he  was  the  man  who  made 
the  speech  before  the  august  assembly  in  the  British  council  hall 
at  Montreal  at  that  time.  Ne-saw-key — Down-the-hill — the  head 
chief  of  the  Ottawa  Ni-tion,  did  not  go  with  the  party,  but  sent 
his  message,  and  instructed  their  counselor  in  what  manner  he 
should  appear  before  the  British  Government.  My  father  was  a 
little  boy  at  that  time,  and  my  grandfather  and  my  great-grand- 
father were  both  living  then,  and  both  held  the  first  royal  rank 
among  the  Ottawas.  My  grandfather  was  then  a  sub-chief  and 
my  great-grandfather  was  a  war  chief,  whose  name  was  Pun-go- 
wish.  And  several  other  chiefs  of  the  tribe  I  couhi  mention  who 
existed  at  that  time,  but  this  is  ample  evidence  that  the  historian 
was  mistaken  in  asserting  that  there  was  no  known  Ottawa  chief 
existing  at  the  time  of  the  massacre. 

However  it  was  a  notable  fact  that  by  this  time  the  Ottawas 
were  greatly  reduced  in  numbers  from  what  they  were  in  former 
times,  on  account  of  the  small-pox  which  they  brought  from 
Montreal  during  the  French  war  with  Great  Britain.  This  small 
pox  was  sold  to  them  shut  up  in  a  tin  box,  with  the  strict  injunc- 
tion not  to  open  the  box  on  their  way  homeward,  but  only  when 
they  should  reach  their  country;  and  that  this  box  contained 
something  that  would  do  them  great  good,  and  their  people !  The 
foolish  people  believed  really  there  was  something  in  the  box  su- 
pernatural, that  would  do  them  great  good.  Accordingly,  after 
they  reached  home  they  opened  tlie  box ;  but  behold  there  was 
another  tin  box  inside,  smaller.  They  took  it  out  and  opened  the 
second  box,  and  behold,  still  there  was  another  box  inside  of  the 
second  box,  smaller  yet.  So  they  kept  on  this  way  till  they  came 
to  a  very  small  box,  which  was  not  more  than  an  inch  long ;  and 


10  THE  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

when  they  opened  the  last  one  they  found  nothing  but  mouldy 
particles  in  this  last  little  box  I  They  wondered  very  much  what 
it  was,  and  a  great  many  closely  inspected  to  try  to  find  out  what 
it  meant.  But  alas,  alas !  pretty  soon  burst  out  a  terrible  sickness 
among  them.  The  great  Indian  doctors  themselves  were  taken 
sick  and  died.  The  tradition  says  it  was  indeed  awful  and  terri- 
ble. Every  one  taken  with  it  was  sure  to  die.  Lodge  after  lodge 
was  totally  vacated — nothing  but  the  dead  bodies  lying  here  and 
there  in  their  lodges — entire  families  being  swept  off  with  the 
ravages  of  this  terrible  disease.  The  whole  coast  of  Arbor  Croche, 
or  Waw-gaw-naw-ke-zee,  where  their  principal  village  was  situ- 
ated, on  the  west  shore  of  the  peninsula  near  the  Straits,  which 
is  said  to  have  been  a  continuous  village  some  fifteen  or  sixteen 
miles  long  and  extending  from  what  is  now  called  Cross  Village 
to  Seven-Mile  Point  (that  is,  seven  miles  from  Little  Traverse, 
now  Harbor  Springs),  was  entirely  depopulated  and  laid  waste. 
It  is  generally  believed  among  the  Indians  of  Arbor  Croche  that 
this  wholesale  murder  of  the  Ottawas  by  this  terrible  disease  sent 
by  the  British  people,  was  actuated  through  hatred,  and  expressly 
to  kill  off  the  Ottawas  and  Cliippewas  because  they  were  friends 
of  the  French  Government  or  French  King,  whom  they  called 
"  Their  Great  Father."  The  reason  that  to-day  we  see  no  full- 
grown  trees  standing  along  the  coast  of  Arbor  Croche,  a  mile  or 
more  in  width  along  the  shore,  is  because  the  trees  were  entirely 
cleared  away  for  this  famous  long  village,  which  existed  before 
the  small-pox  raged  among  the  Ottawas. 

In  my  first  recollection  of  the  country  of  Arbor  Croche,*  which 

♦The  word  Arbor  Croche  is  derived  from  two  French  words:  Arbre,  a 
tree  ;  and  Croche,  something  very  crooked  or  hook-like.  The  tradition  says 
when  the  Ottawas  first  came  to  that  part  of  the  country  a  great  pine  tree  stood 
very  near  the  shore  where  Middle  Village  now  is,  whose  top  was  very  crooked, 
almost  hook -like.  Therefore  the  Ottawas  called  the  place  "  Wau-gaw-naw- 
ke-zee" — meaning  the  crooked  top  of  the  tree.  But  by  and  by  the  whole  coast 
from  Little  Traverse  to  Tehin-gaw-beng,  now  Cross  Village,  became  denom- 
inated as  Wau-gaw-naw-ke-zee. 


INDIANS  OP  MICHIGAN.  t^^    ^ 

is  sixty  years  ago,  there  was  nothing  but  small  shrubbery  here 
and  there  in  small  patches,  such  as  wild  cherry  trees,  but  the 
most  of  it  was  grassy  plain;  and  such  an  abundance  of  wild 
strawberries,  raspberries  and  blackberries  that  tliey  fairly  per- 
fumed the  air  of  tlie  whole  coast  with  fragrant  scent  of  ripe  fruit. 
The  wild  pigeons  and  every  variety  of  feathered  songsters  filled 
all  the  groves,  warbling  their  songs  joyfully  and  feasting  upon 
these  wild  fruits  of  nature ;  and  in  these  waters  the  fishes  were 
so  plentiful  that  as  you  lift  up  the  anchor-stone  of  your  net  in  the 
morning,  your  net  would  be  so  loaded  w'th  delicious  whitefish  as 
to  fairly  float  with  all  its  weight  of  the  sinkers.  As  you  look 
towards  the  course  of  your  net,  you  see  the  fins  of  the  fishes 
sticking  out  of  the  water  in  every  way.  Then  I  never  knew  my 
people  to  want  for  anything  to  eat  or  to  wear,  as  we  always  had 
plenty  of  wild  meat  and  plenty  of  fish,  corn,  vegetables,  and  wild 
fruits,  I  thought  (and  yet  I  may  be  mistaken)  that  my  people 
were  very  happy  in  those  days,  at  least  I  was  as  happy  myself  as 
a  lark,  or  as  the  brown  thrush  that  sat  daily  on  the  uppermost 
branches  of  the  stubby  growth  of  a  basswood  tree  which  stood 
near  by  upon  the  hill  where  we  often  played  under  its  shade, 
lodging  our  little  arrows  among  the  thick  branches  of  the  tree 
and  then  shooting  them  down  again  for  sport. 

Early  in  the  morning  as  the  sun  peeped  from  the  east,  as  I 
would  yet  be  lying  close  to  my  mother's  bosom,  this  brown  thrush 
would  begin  his  warbling  songs  perched  upon  the  uppermost 
branches  of  the  basswood  tree  that  stood  close  to  our  lodge. 
I  would  then  say  to  myself,  as  I  listened  to  him,  "  here  comes 
again  my  little  orator,"  and  I  used  to  try  to  understand  what  he 
had  to  say ;  and  sometimes  thought  I  understood  some  of  its  ut- 
terances as  follows :  •'  Good  morning,  good  morning !  arise,  arise  I 
shoot,  shoot!  come  along,  come  along!"  etc.,  every  word  repeat- 
ed twice.  Even  then,  and  so  young  as  1  was,  I  used  to  think  that 
little  bird  had  a  language  which  God  or  the  Great  Spirit  had 
given  him,  and  every  bird  of  the  forest  understood  what  he  had 


12  THE  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

to  say,  and  that  he  was  appointed  to  preach  to  other  birds,  to  tell 
them  to  be  happy,  to  be  thankful  for  the  blessings  they  enjoy 
among  the  summer  green  branches  of  the  forest,  and  the  plenty 
of  wild  fruits  to  eat.  The  larger  boys  used  to  amuse  themselves 
by  playing  a  ball  called  Paw-kaw-do-way,  foot-racing,  wrestling, 
bow-arrow  shooting,  and  trying  to  beat  one  another  shooting 
the  greatest  number  of  chipmunks  and  squirrels  in  a  day,  etc. 

I  never  heard  any  boy  or  any  grown  person  utter  any  bad 
language,  even  if  they  were  out  of  patience  with  anything. 
Swearing  or  profanity  was  never  heard  among  the  Ottawa  and 
Chippewa  tribes  of  Indians,  and  not  even  found  in  their  language. 
Scarcely  any  drunkenness,  only  once  in  a  great  while  the  old 
folks  used  to  have  a  kind  of  short  spree,  particularly  when  there 
was  any  special  occasion  of  a  great  feast  going  on.  But  all  the 
young  folks  did  not  drink  intoxicating  liquors  as  a  beverage  in 
those  days.  And  we  always  rested  in  perfect  safety  at  night  in 
our  dwellings,  and  the  doorways  of  our  lodges  had  no  fastenings 
to  them,  but  simply  a  frail  mat  or  a  blanket  was  hung  over  our 
doorways  which  might  be  easily  pushed  or  thrown  one  side  with- 
out any  noise  if  theft  or  any  other  mischief  was  intended.  But 
we  were  not  afraid  for  any  such  thing  to  happen  us,  because  we 
knew  that  every  child  of  the  forest  was  observing  and  living 
under  the  precepts  which  their  forefathers  taught  them,  and  the 
children  were  taught  almost  daily  by  their  parents  from  infancy 
unto  manhood  and  womanhood,  or  until  they  were  separated  from 
their  families. 

These  precepts  or  moral  commandments  by  which  the  Ottawa 
and  Chippewa  nations  of  Indians  were  governed  in  their  primi- 
tive state,  were  almost  the  same  as  the  ten  commandments  which 
the  God  Almighty  himself  delivered  to  Moses  on  Mount  Sinai 
on  tables  of  stone.  Very  few  of  these  divine  precepts  are  not 
found  among  the  precepts  of  the  Ottawa  and  Chippewa  Indians, 
except  with  regard  to  the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy ;  almost 
every  other  commandment  can  be  found,  only  there  are  more, 


INDIANS  OP  MICHIGAN.  19 

as  there  were  about  twenty  of  these  "uncivilized"  precepts. 
They  also  believed,  in  their  primitive  state,  that  the  eye  of  this 
Great  Being  is  the  sun  by  day,  and  by  night  the  moon  and  stars, 
and,  therefore,  that  God  or  the  Great  Spirit  sees  all  things  every- 
where, night  and  day,  and  it  would  be  impossible  to  hide  our  ac- 
tions, either  good  or  bad,  from  the  eye  of  this  Great  Being.    Even 
the  very  threshold  or  crevice  of  your  wigwam  will  be  a  witness 
against  you,  if  you  should  commit  any  criminal  action  when  no 
human  eye  could  observe  your  criminal  doings,  but  surely  your 
criminal  actions  will  be  revealed  in  some  future  time  to  your 
disgrace  and  shame.    These  were  continual  inculcations  to  the 
children  by  their  parents,  and  in  every  feast  and  council,  by  the 
"  Instructors  of  the  Precepts  "  to  the  people  or  to  the  audience 
of  the  council.     For  these  reasons  the  Ottawas  and  Chippewas 
in  their  primitive  state  were  strictly  honest  and  upright  in  their 
dealings  with  their  fellow-beings.    Their  word  of  promise  was 
as  good  as  a  promissory  note,  even  better,  as  these  notes  some- 
times are  neglected  and  not  performed  according  to  their  prom- 
ises; but  the  Indian  promise  was  very  sure  and  punctual,  al- 
though, as  they  had  no  timepieces,  they  measured  their  time  by 
the  sun.    If  an  Indian  promised  to  execute  a  certain  obligation  at 
such  time,  at  so  many  days,  and  at  such  height  of  the  sun,  when  that 
time  comes  he  would  be  there  puHCtually  to  fulfill  this  obligation. 
This  was  formerly  the  character  of  the  Ottawa  and  Chippewa 
Indians  of  Michigan.    But  now,  our  living  is  altogether  diiferent, 
as  we  are  continually  suffering  under  great  anxiety  and  perplex- 
ity, and  continually  being  robbed  and  cheated  in  various  ways. 
Our  houses  have  been  forcibly  entered  for  thieving  purposes  and 
murder ;  people  have  been  knocked  down  and  robbed ;  great  safes 
have  been  blown  open  with  powder  in  our  little  town  and  their 
contents  carried  away,  and  even  children  of  the  Caucasian  race 
are  heard  cursing  and  blaspheming  the  name  of  their  Great  Cre- 
ator, upon  whose  pleasure  we  depended  for  our  existence. 
According  to  my  recollection  of  the  mode  of  living  in  our 


14  THE  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

village,  so  soon  as  darkness  came  in  the  evening,  the  young  boys 
and  girls  were  not  allowed  to  be  out  of  their  lodges.  Every  one 
of  them  must  be  called  in  to  his  own  lodge  for  the  rest  of  the 
night.  And  this  rule  of  the  Indians  in  their  wild  state  was  im- 
plicitly  observed. 

Ottawa  and  Chippewa  Indians  were  not  what  we  would  call 
entirely  infidels  and  idolaters ;  for  they  believed  that  there  is  a 
Supreme  Ruler  of  the  Universe,  the  Creator  of  all  things,  the 
Grcdi  Spirit,  to  which  they  offer  worship  and  sacrifices  in  a  cer- 
tain form.  It  was  customary  among  them,  every  spring  of  the 
year,  to  gather  all  the  cast  off  garments  that  had  been  worn  during 
the  winter  and  rear  them  up  on  a  long  pole  while  they  were  hav- 
ing festivals  and  jubilees  to  the  Great  Spirit.  The  object  of 
doing  this  was  that  the  Great  Spirit  might  look  down  from  heaven 
and  have  compassion  on  his  red  children.  Only  this,  that  they 
foolishly  believe  that  there  are  certain  deities  all  over  the  lands 
who  to  a  certain  extent  govern  or  preside  over  certain  places,  as 
a  deity  who  presides  over  this  river,  over  this  lake,  or  this  moun- 
tain, or  island,  or  country,  and  they  were  careful  not  to  express 
anything  which  might  displease  such  deities ;  but  that  they  were 
not  supreme  rulers,  only  to  a  certain  extent  they  had  power  over 
the  land  where  they  presided.  These  deities  were  supposed  to 
be  governed  by  the  Great  Spirit  above. 


INDIANS  OF  MICHIGAN.  15 


CHAPTER  II. 

Cases  of  Murders  Among  the  Ottawas  and  Chlppewas  Exceedingly 
Scarce — Ceding  the  Grand  Traverse  Region  to  the  Chippewas  on 
Account  of  Murder — Immorality  Among  the  Ottawas  not  Com- 
mon— Marriage  in  Former  Times.  •  '. 

The  murders  in  cold  blood  among  the  Ottawa  and  Chippewa 
nations  of  Indians  in  their  primitive  state  were  exceedingly  few, 
at  least  there  was  only  one  account  in  our  old  tradition  where  a 
murder  had  been  committed,  a  young  Ottawa  having  stabbed  a 
young  Chippewa  while  in  dispute  over  their  nets  when  they  were 
fishing  for  herrings  on  the  Straits  of  Mackinac.  This  nearly 
caused  a  terrible  bloody  war  between  the  two  powerful  tribes  of 
Indians  (as  they  were  numerous  then)  so  closely  related.  The 
tradition  says  they  had  council  after  council  upon  this  subject, 
and  many  speeches  were  delivered  on  both  sides.  The  Chip- 
pewas proposed  war  to  settle  the  question  of  murder,  while  the 
Ottawas  proposed  compromise  and  restitution  for  the  murder. 
Finally  the  Ottawas  succeeded  in  settling  the  difficulty  by  ceding 
part  of  their  country  to  the  Chippewa  nation,  which  is  now 
known  and  distinguished  as  the  Grand  Traverse  Region.  A  strip 
of  land  which  I  believe  to  have  extended  from  a  point  near 
Sleeping  Bear,  down  to  the  eastern  shore  of  the  Grand  Trav- 
erse Bay,  some  thirty  or  forty  miles  wide,  thence  between  two 
parallel  lines  running  southeasterly  until  they  strike  the  head 
waters  of  Muskegon  River,  which  empties  into  Lake  Michigan 
not  very  far  below  Grand  Haven.  They  were  also  allowed  access 
to  all  the  rivers  and  streams  in  the  Lower  Peninsula  of  Michigan) 
to  trap  the  beavers,  minks,  otters  and  muskrats.  The  Indians 
used  their  furs  in  former  times  for  garments  and  blankets.  This 
is  the  reason  that  to  this  day  the  Odjebwes  (Chippewas)  are  found 
in  that  section  of  the  country. 


"TO- 


THE  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 


It  may  be  said,  this  is  not  true;  it  is  a  mistake.  We  liave 
known  several  cases  of  murders  among  tlie  Ottawas  and  Chippe- 
was.  I  admit  it  to  be  true,  that  there  have  been  cases  of  murders 
among  the  Ottawas  and  Chippewas  since  the  white  people  knew 
them.  But  these  cases  of  murders  occurred  some  time  after  they 
came  in  contact  with  the  white  races  in  their  country ;  but  I  am 
speaking  now  of  the  primitive  condition  of  Indians,  particularly 
of  the  Ottawas  and  Chippewas,  and  I  believe  most  of  those  cases 
of  murders  were  brought  on  through  the  bad  influence  of  white 
men,  by  introducing  into  the  tribes  this  great  destroyer  of  man- 
kind, soul  and  body,  intoxicating  liquors!  Yet,  during  sixty 
years  of  my  existence  among  the  Ottawas  and  Chippewas,  I  have 
never  witnessed  one  case  of  murder  of  this  kind,  but  I  heard 
there  were  a  few  cases  in  other  parts  of  the  country,  when  in 
their  fury  from  the  influence  of  intoxicating  liquors. 

There  was  one  case  of  sober  murder  happened  about  fifty  years 
ago  at  Arbor  Croche,  where  one  young  man  disposed  of  his  lover 
by  killing,  which  no  Indian  ever  knew  the  actual  cause  of.  He 
was  arrested  and  committed  to  the  Council  and  tried  according  to 
the  Indian  style ;  and  after  a  long  council,  or  trial,  it  was  deter- 
mined the  murderer  should  be  banished  from  the  tribe.  There- 
fore, he  was  banished.  Also,  about  this  time,  one  case  of  sober 
murder  transpired  among  the  Chippewas  of  Sault  Ste.  Marie, 
committed  by  one  of  the  young  Chippewas  whose  name  was  Wau- 
bau-ne-me-kee  (White-thunder),  who  might  have  been  released  if 
he  had  been  properly  tried  and  impartial  judgment  exercised 
over  the  c^e,  but  we  believe  it  was  not.  This  Indian  killed  a 
white  man,  when  he  was  perfectly  sober,  by  stabbing.  He  was 
arrested,  of  course,  and  tried  and  sentenced  to  be  hung  at  the 
Island  of  Mackinac.  I  distinctly  remember  the  time.  This  poor 
Indian  was  very  happy  when  he  was  about  to  be  hung  on  the 
gallows.  He  told  the  people  that  he  was  very  happy  to  die, 
for  he  felt  that  he  was  innocent.  He  did  not  deny  killing 
the  man,  but  he  thought  he  was  justifiable  in  the  sight  of  the 


INDIANS  OF   MICHIGAN.  17 

Great  Spirit,  as  such  wicked  monsters  ought  to  be  killed  from  off 
the  earth ;  as  this  white  man  came  to  the  Indian's  wigwam  in  the 
dead  of  night,  and  dragged  the  mother  of  his  children  from  his 
very  bosom  for  licentious  purpose.  He  remonstrated,  but  his  re- 
monstrances were  not  heeded,  as  this  ruffian  was  encouraged  by 
others  who  stood  around  his  wigwam,  and  ready  to  fall  upon 
this  poor  Indian  and  help  their  fellow-ruffian ;  and  he  therefore 
stabbed  the  principal  party,  in  defence  of  his  beloved  wife,  for 
which  cause  the  white  man  died.  If  an  Indian  should  go  to  the 
white  man's  house  and  commit  that  crime,  he  would  be  killed ; 
and  what  man  is  there  who  would  say  that  is  too  bad,  this  In- 
dian to  be  killed  in  that  manner  ?  Bu^  every  man  will  say  amen, 
only  he  ought  to  have  been  tortured  before  he  was  killed ;  and 
let  the  man  who  killed  this  bad  and  wicked  Indian  be  rewarded ! 
This  is  what  would  be  the  result  if  the  Indian  would  have  done 
the  same  thing  as  this  white  man  did. 

The  Ottawas  and  Chippewas  were  quite  virtuous  in  their  prim- 
itive state,  as  there  were  no  illegitimate  children  reported  in  our 
old  traditions.  But  very  lately  this  evil  came  to  exif-t  among 
the  Ottawas — so  lately  that  the  second  case  among  the  Ottawas 
of  Arbor  Croche  is  yet  living.  And  from  that  time  this  evil 
came  to  be  quite  frequent,  for  immorality  has  been  introduced 
among  these  people  by  evil  white  persons  who  bring  their  vices 
into  the  tribes. 

In  the  former  times  or  before  the  Indians  were  christianized, 
when  a  young  man  came  to  be  a  lit  age  to  get  married,  he  did 
not  trouble  himself  about  what  girl  he  should  have  for  his  wife ; 
but  the  parents  of  the  young  man  did  this  part  of  the  business^ 
When  the  parents  thought  best  that  their  son  should  be  separated 
from  their  family  by  marriage,  it  was  their  business  to  decide 
what  woman  their  son  should  have  as  his  wife;  and  after  se- 
lecting some  particular  girl  among  their  neigbors,  they  would 
rrake  up  quite  large  package  of  presents  and  then  go  to  the  pa- 
rents of  the  girl  and  demand  the  daughter  for  their  son's  wife, 


• 


:;i0^.  THE  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

at  the  same  time  delivering  the  presents  to  the  parents  of  the  girl. 
If  the  old  folks  say  yes,  then  they  would  fetch  the  girl  right  along 
to  their  son  and  tell  him,  We  have  brought  this  girl  as  your  wife 
so  long  as  you  live ;  now  take  her,  cherish  her,  and  be  kind  to 
her  so  long  as  you  live.  The  young  man  and  girl  did  not  dare  to 
say  aught  against  it,  as  it  was  the  law  and  custom  amongst  their 
people,  but  all  they  had  to  do  was  to  take  each  other  as  man  and 
wife.  This  was  all  the  rules  and  ceremony  of  getting  married 
in  former  times  among  the  Ottawas  and  Chippewas  of  Michigan : 
they  must  not  marry  their  cousins  nor  second  cousins. 


INDIANS  OF  MICHIGAN.  19 


CHAPTER    III.  ' 

Earliest  Possible  Known  History  of  Mackinac  Island— Its  Historical 
Definition — Who  Resided  at  the  Island — Massacre  at  the  Island 
by  Senecas — Where  the  Ottawas  were  Living  at  That  Time — 
Only  Two  Escape  the  Massacre — What  Became  of  Them — The 
Legends  of  the  Two  Who  Escaped — Occupants  of  the  Island  After- 
wards— Who  Killed  Warrior  Tecumseh? 

Again,  most  every  historian,  or  annalist  so-called,  who  writes 
about  the  Island  of  Mackinac  and  the  Straits  and  vicinity,  tells 
us  that  the  definition  or  the  meaning  of  the  word  "  Michilimack- 
inac  "  in  the  Ottawa  and  Chippewa  language,  is  *'  large  turtle," 
derived  from  the  word  Mi-she-mi-ki-nock  in  the  Chippewa  lan- 
guage. That  is,  "  Mi-she  "  as  one  of  the  adnominals  or  adjectives 
in  the  Ottawa  and  Chippewa  languages,  which  would  signify 
tremendous  in  size ;  and  "  Mikinock  "  is  the  name  of  mud  turtle 
— meaning,  therefore,  "monstrous  large  turtle,"  as  the  historians 
would  have  it.  But  we  consider  this  to  be  a  clear  error.  Where- 
ever  those  annalists,  or  those  who  write  about  the  Island  of 
Mackinac,  obtain  their  information  as  to  the  definition  of  the 
word  Michilimackinac,  I  don't  know,  when  our  tradition  is  so 
direct  and  so  clear  with  regard  to  the  historical  definition  of  that 
word,  and  is  far  from  being  derived  from  the  word  "  Michimiki- 
nock,"  as  the  historians  have  told  us.  Our  tradition  says  that 
when  the  Island  was  first  discovered  by  the  Ottawas,  which  was 
some  time  before  America  was  known  as  an  existing  country  by 
the  white  man,  there  was  a  small  independent  tribe,  a  remnant 
race  of  Indians  who  occupied  this  island,  who  became  confeder- 
ated with  the  Ottawas  when  the  Ottawas  were  living  at  Mani- 
toulin,  formerly  called  Ottawa  Island,  which  is  situated  north  of 
Lake  Huron.  The  Ottawas  thought  a  good  deal  of  this  unfortu- 
nate race  of  people,  as  they  were  kind  of  interesting  sort  of  peo- 


80  THE  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

pie ;  but,  unfortunately,  they  had  most  powerful  enemies,  who 
every  now  and  then  would  come  among  them  to  make  war  with 
them.  Their  enemies  were  of  the  Iroquois  of  New  York.  There- 
fore, once  in  the  dead  of  the  winter  while  the  Ottawas  were 
having  a  great  jubilee  and  war  dances  at  their  island,  now  Mani- 
toulin,  on  account  of  the  great  conquest  over  the  We-ne-be-goes 
of  Wisconsin,  of  which  I  will  speak  more  fully  in  subsequent 
chapters,  during  which  time  the  Senecas  of  New  York,  of  the 
Iroquois  family  of  Indians,  came  upon  the  remnant  race  and 
fought  them,  and  almost  entirely  annihilated  them.  But  two  es- 
caped to  tell  the  story,  who  effected  their  escape  by  flight  and  by 
hiding  in  one  of  the  natural  caves  at  the  island,  and  therefore 
that  was  the  end  of  this  race.  And  according  to  our  understand- 
ing and  traditions  the  tribal  name  of  those  disastrous  people  was 
"  Mi-shi-ne-macki  naw-go,"  which  is  still  existing  to  this  day  as  a 
monument  of  their  former  existence ;  for  the  Ottawas  and  Chip- 
pewas  named  this  little  island  "  Mi-shi-ne-macki-nong "  for  me- 
morial sake  of  those  their  former  confederates,  which  word  is 
the  locative  case  of  the  Indian  noun  '*  Michinemackinawgo." 
Therefore,  we  contend,  this  is  properly  where  the  name  Michili- 
mackinac  is  originated. 

This  is  the  earliest  possible  history  of  this  little  Island,  as  I 
have  related,  according  to  the  Ottawa  traditions ;  and  from  that 
time  forward  there  have  been  many  changes  in  its  history,  as 
other  tribes  of  Indians  took  possession  of  the  island,  such  as  the 
Hurons  and  Chippewas ;  and  still  later  by  the  whites — French, 
English,  and  Americans ;  and  numbers  of  battles  have  been  fought 
from  time  to  time  there,  by  both  Indians  and  whites,  of  which  I 
need  not  relate  as  other  historians  have  already  given  us  the 
accounts  of  them.  But  only  this  I  would  relate,  because  I  have 
never  yet  seen  the  account  of  it :  It  is  related  in  our  traditions 
that  at  the  time  when  the  Chippewas  occupied  the  island  they 
ceded  it  to  the  United  States  Government,  but  reserved  a  strip  of 
land  all  around  the  island  as  far  as  a  stone  throw  from  its  water's 


INDIANS  OP  MICHIGAN.  21 

edge  as  their  encampment  grounds  when  they  might  come  to  the 
island  to  trade  or  for  other  business. 

Perhaps  the  reader  would  like  to  know  what  became  of  those 
two  persons  who  escaped  from  the  lamented  tribe  Mishinemacki- 
nawgoes.  I  will  here  give  it  just  as  it  is  related  in  our  traditions, 
although  this  may  be  considered,  at  this  age,  as  a  fictitious  story; 
but  every  Ottawa  and  Chippewa  to  this  day  believes  it  to  be  posi- 
tively so.  It  is  related  that  the  two  persons  escaped  were  two 
young  people,  male  and  female,  and  they  were  lovers.  After 
everything  got  quieted  down,  they  fixed  their  snow-shoes  invert- 
ed and  crossed  the  lake  on  the  ice,  as  snow  was  quite  deep  on  the 
ice,  and  they  went  towards  the  north  shore  of  Lake  Huron.  The 
object  of  inverting  their  snow-shoes  was  that  in  case  any  person 
should  happen  to  come  across  their  track  on  the  ice,  their  track 
would  appear  as  if  going  towards  the  island.  They  became  so 
disgusted  with  human  nature,  it  is  related,  that  they  shunned 
every  mortal  being,  and  just  lived  by  themselves,  selecting  the 
wildest  part  of  the  country.  Therefore,  the  Ottawas  and  Chip- 
pewas  called  them  "  Paw-gwa-tchaw-nish-naw-boy."  The  last  time 
they  w^ere  seen  by  the  Ottawas,  they  had  ten  children — all  boys, 
and  all  living  and  well.  And  every  Ottawa  and  Chippewa  be- 
lieves to  this  day  that  they  are  still  in  existence  and  roaming  in 
the  wildest  part  of  the  land,  but  as  supernatural  beings — that  is, 
they  can  be  seen  or  unseen,  just  as  they  see  fit  to  be;  and  some- 
times they  simply  manifested  themselves  as  being  present  by 
throwing  a  club  or  a  stone  at  a  person  walking  in  a  solitude,  or 
by  striking  a  dog  belonging  to  the  person  walking;  and  some- 
times by  throwing  a  club  at  the  lodge,  night  or  day,  or  hearing 
their  footsteps  walking  around  the  wigwam  when  the  Indians 
would  be  camping  out  in  an  unsettled  part  of  the  country,  and 
the  dogs  would  bark,  just  as  they  would  bark  at  any  strange  per- 
son  approaching  the  door.  And  sometimes  they  would  be  tracked 
on  snow  by  hunters,  and  if  followed  on  their  track,  however  re- 
cently passed,  they  never  could  be  overtaken.    Sometimes  when 


m  THE  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

an  Indian  would  be  hunting  or  walking  in  solitude,  he  would 
suddenly  be  seized  with  an  unearthly  fright,  terribly  awe  strick- 
en, apprehending  some  great  evil.  He  feels  very  peculiar  sensa- 
tion  from  head  to  foot — thfe  hair  of  his  head  standing  and  feeling 
stiff  like  a  porcupine  quill.  He  feels  almost  benumbed  with 
fright,  and  yet  he  does  not  know  what  it  is ;  and  looking  in  every 
direction  to  see  something,  but  nothing  to  be  seen  which  might 
cause  sensation  of  terror.  Collecting  himself,  he  would  then  say, 
*'  Pshaw  1  its  nothing  here  to  be  afraid  of.  It's  nobody  else  but 
Paw-gwa-tchaw-nish-naw-boy  is  approaching  me.  Perhaps  he 
wanted  something  of  me."  They  would  then  leave  something 
on  their  tracks — tobacco,  powder,  or  something  else.  Once  in  a 
great  while  they  would  appear,  and  approach  the  person  to  talk 
with  him,  and  in  this  case,  it  is  said,  they  would  always  begin 
with  the  sad  story  of  their  great  catastrophe  at  the  Island  of  Mack- 
inac. And  whoever  would  be  so  fortunate  as  to  meet  and  see 
them  and  to  talk  with  them,  such  person  would  always  become  a 
prophet  to  his  people,  either  Ottawa  or  Chippewa.  Therefore, 
Ottawas  and  Chippewas  called  these  supernatural  beings  "  Paw- 
gwa-tchaw-nish-naw-boy,"  which  is,  strictly,  "Wild  roaming  super- 
natural being." 

Pine  river  country,  in  Charlevoix  County,  Michigan,  when  this 
country  was  all  wild,  especially  near  Pine  Lake,  was  once  con- 
sidered as  the  most  famous  resort  of  these  kind  of  unnatural  be- 
ings. I  was  once  conversing  with  one  of  the  first  white  settlers 
of  that  portion  of  the  country,  who  settled  near  to  the  place  now 
called  Boyne  City,  at  the  extreme  end  of  the  east  arm  of  Pine  Lake. 
In  the  conversation  he  told  me  that  many  times  they  had  been 
frightened,  particularly  during  the  nights,  by  hearing  what  sound- 
ed like  human  footsteps  around  outside  of  their  cabin ;  and  their 
dog  would  be  terrified,  crouching  at  the  doorway,  snarling  and 
growling,  and  sometimes  fearfully  barking.  When  daylight  came, 
the  old  man  would  go  out  in  order  to  discover  what  it  was  or  if 
he  could  track  anything  around  his  cabin,  but  he  never  could  dis 


INDIANS  OF   MICHIGAN.  23 

cover  a  track  of  any  kind.  These  remarkable,  mischievous,  aud- 
ible, fanciful,  appalling  apprehensions  were  of  very  frequent 
occurrence  before  any  other  inhabitants  or  settlers  came  near  to 
his  place ;  but  now,  they  do  not  have  such  apprehensions  since 
many  settlers  came. 

That  massacre  of  Mishinimackinawgoes  by  Seneoft  Indians  of 
New  York  happened  probably  more  than  five  or  six  hundred 
years  ago.  I  could  say  much  more  which  would  be  contradictory 
of  other  writers  of  the  history  of  the  Indians  in  this  country. 
Even  in  the  history  of  the  United  States  I  think  there  are  some 
mistakes  concerning  the  accounts  of  the  Indians,  particularly  the 
accounts  of  our  brave  Tecumseh,  as  it  is  claimed  that  he  was 
killed  by  a  soldier  named  Johnson,  upon  whom  they  conferred 
the  honor  of  having  disposed  of  the  dreaded  Tecumseh.  Even 
pictured  out  as  being  coming  up  with  his  tomahawk  to  strike  a 
man  who  was  on  horseback,  but  being  instantly  shot  dead  with 
the  pistol.  Now  I  have  repeatedly  heard  our  oldest  Indians, 
both  male  and  female,  who  were  present  at  the  defeat  of  the 
British  and  Indians,  all  tell  a  unanimous  story,  saying  that 
they  came  to  a  clearing  or  opening  spot,  and  it  was  there  where 
Tecumseh  ordered  his  warriors  to  rally  and  fight  the  Americans 
once  more,  and  in  this  very  spot  one  of  the  American  musket 
balls  took  effect  in  Tecumseh's  leg  so  as  to  break  the  bone  of  his 
leg,  that  he  could  not  stand  up.  He  was  sitting  on  the  ground 
when  he  told  his  warriors  to  flee  as  well  as  they  could,  and  fur- 
thermore said,  "  One  of  my  leg  is  shot  off !  But  leave  me  one  or 
two  guns  loaded ;  I  am  going  to  have  a  last  shot.  Be  quick  and 
go  I"  That  was  the  last  word  spoken  by  Tecumseh.  As  they 
look  back,  they  saw  the  soldiers  thick  as  swarm  of  bees  around 
where  Tecumseh  was  sitting  on  the  ground  with  his  broken  leg, 
and  so  they  did  not  see  him  any  more ;  and,  therefore,  we  always 
believe  that  the  Indians  or  Americans  know  not  who  made  the 
fatal  shot  on  Tecumseh's  leg,  or  what  the  soldiers  did  with  him 
when  they  came  up  to  him  as  he  was  sitting  on  the  ground. 


24  THE  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 


CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Author's  Reasont  for  Recording  the  History  of  His  People,  and 
Their  Lan«?uage — History  of  His  Nationality — A  Sketch  of  His 
Father's  History — How  the  Indians  Were  Treated  in  Manitoba 
Country  One  Hundred  Years  Ago — His  Father's  Banishment  to 
Die  on  a  Lonely  Island  by  the  White  Traders — Second  Misfortune 
of  the  Ottawas  ou  Account  of  the  Shawanee  Prophet — The  Earth- 
quake. 

The  Indian  tribes  are  continnually  diminishing  on  the  face  of 
this  continent.  Some  liave  already  passed  entirely  out  of  exist- 
ence and  are  forgotten,  who  once  inhabited  this  part  of  the  coun- 
try; such  as  the  Mawsli-ko-desh,  Urons,  Ossaw-gees — who  for- 
merly occupied  Saw-gi-naw-bay ;  and  the  Odaw  gaw-mees,  whose 
principal  habitation  was  about  the  vicinity  of  Detroit  River. 
They  are  entirely  vanished  into  nothingness.  Not  a  single  page 
of  their  history  can  be  found  on  record  in  the  history  of  this 
country,  or  hardly  an  allusion  to  their  existence.  My  own  race, 
once  a  very  numerous,  powerful  and  warlike  tribe  of  Indians, 
who  proudly  trod  upon  this  soil,  is  also  near  the  end  of  existence. 
In  a  fe^^  more  generations  tliey  will  be  so  intermingled  with  the 
Caucasian  race  as  to  be  hardly  distinguished  as  descended  from 
the  Indian  nations,  and  their  language  will  be  lost.  I  myself 
was  brought  up  in  a  pure  Indian  style,  and  lived  in  a  wigwam, 
and  have  partaken  of  every  kind  of  the  wild  jubilees  of  my  peo- 
ple, and  was  once  considered  one  of  the  best  ''Pipe"  dancers  of 
the  tribe.  But  when  nearly  grown  up,  I  was  invited  by  a  travel- 
ing Protestant  Missionary,  whose  name  was  Alvin  Coe,  to  go 
home  with  him  to  the  State  of  Ohio,  with  the  assurance  that  he 
would  give  me  a  good  education  like  the  white  man,  and  the  idea 
struck  me  that  I  could  be  really  educated  and  be  able  to  converse 
with  the  white  people.    And  although  at  that  time  (in  tlie  fall  of 


A  INDIANS  OP  MICHIGAN.  "        '  25 

1840)  I  missed  the  opportnnity,  the  idea  was  never  after  off  of 
my  mind.  So  some  time  afterwards  I  started  out  voluntarily  to 
obtain  an  education ;  and  I  had  nearly  succeeded  in  completing 
my  professional  studies  when  I  called  away  to  come  home  and 
look  after  my  aged  father,  in  1850.  And  now  I  have  four  chil- 
dren, but  not  one  of  them  can  speak  the  Indian  language.  And 
every  one  of  the  little  Indian  urchins  who  are  now  running  about 
in  our  town  can  speak  to  each  other  quite  fluently  in  the  English 
language ;  but  I  am  very  sorry  to  add  that  they  have  also  learned 
profanity  like  the  white  children.  For  these  reasons  it  seems  de- 
sirable that  the  history  of  my  people  should  not  be  lost,  like  that 
of  other  tribes  who  previously  existed  in  this  country,  and  who 
have  left  no  record  of  their  ancient  legends  and  their  traditions. 
Before  proceeding  to  record  the  history  of  the  Ottawas  of  the 
State  of  Michigan,  to  whom  I  am  immediately  connected  in  their 
common  interests  and  their  future  destinies,  I  propose  to  re- 
hearse in  a  summary  manner  my  nationality  and  family  history. 
Our  tradition  says  that  long  ago,  when  the  Ottawa  tribes  of  In- 
dians used  to  go  on  a  warpath  either  towards  the  south  or  towards 
tlie  west,  even  as  far  as  to  the  Rocky  Mountains,  on  one  of  these 
expeditions  towards  the  Rocky  Mountains  my  remote  ancestors 
were  captured  and  brought  to  this  country  as  prisoners  of  war. 
But  they  were  afterwards  adopted  as  children  of  the  Ottawas,  and 
intermarried  with  tlie  nation  in  which  they  were  captives.  Sub- 
sequently these  captives'  posterity  became  so  famous  among  the 
Ottawas  on  account  of  their  exploits  and  bravery  on  the  warpath 
and  being  great  hunters  that  they  became  closely  connected  with 
the  royal  families,  and  were  considered  as  the  best  counselors, 
best  chieftains  and  best  warriors  among  the  Ottawas.  Thus  I  am 
not  regularly  descendad  from  the  Ottawa  nations  of  Indians,  but 
I  am  descended,  as  tradition  says,  from  tlie  tribe  in  the  far  west 
known  as  the  Underground  race  of  people.  They  were  so  called 
on  account  of  making  their  habitations  in  the  ground  by  making 
holes  large  enough  for  dwelling  purposes.     It  is  related  that  they 


26  THE  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

even  made  caves  in  the  ground  in  which  to  keep  their  horses 
every  night  to  prevent  them  from  being  stolen  by  other  tribes 
who  were  their  enemies.  It  is  also  related  that  they  were  quite 
an  intelligent  class  of  people.  By  cultivating  the  soil  they  raised 
corn  and  other  vegetables  to  aid  in  sustaining  life  beside  hunting 
and  fishing.  They  were  entirely  independent,  having  their  own 
government  and  language,  and  possessing  their  own  national  em- 
blem which  distinguished  them  as  distinct  and  separate  from  all 
other  tribes.  This  symbolical  ensign  of  my  ancestors  was  repre- 
sented by  a  species  of  small  hawk,  which  the  Ottawas  called  the 
'*  Pe-pe-gwen."  So  we  were  sometimes  called  in  this  country  in 
which  we  live  the  ''  Pe-pe-gwen  tribe,"  instead  of  the  "  Under- 
grounds." And  it  was  customary  among  the  Ottawas,  that  if  any 
one  of  our  number,  a  descendant  of  the  Undergrounds,  should 
commit  any  punishable  crime,  all  the  Pe-pe-gwen  tribe  or  de- 
scendants of  the  Undergrounds  would  be  called  together  in  a 
grand  council  and  requested  to  make  restitution  for  the  crime  or 
to  punish  the  guilty  one,  according  to  the  final  decision  of  the 
council.  .  - 

There  were  several  great  chieftains  of  the  Undergrounds  among 
the  Ottawas  who  were  living  within  my  time,  and  some  are  here 
mentioned  who  were  most  known  by  the  American  people,  par- 
ticularly during  the  war  with  Great  Britain  in  1812.  Most  of 
these  chieftains  were  my  own  uncles.  One  was  called  Late  Wing, 
who  took  a  very  active  part  for  the  cause  of  the  United  States  in 
the  war  of  1812,  and  he  was  a  great  friend  to  Governor  Lewis  Cass 
of  Michigan.  Wing  was  pensioned  for  life  for  his  good  services 
to  the  United  States.  He  was  one  of  my  father's  own  brothers. 
8haw-be-nee  was  an  uncle  of  mine  on  my  mother's  side,  who  also 
served  bravely  for  the  United  States  in  the  war  of  1812.  He 
traveled  free  all  over  the  United  States  during  his  lifetime.  This 
privilege  was  granted  to  him  by  the  Government  of  the  United 
States  for  his  patriotism  and  bravery.  He  died  in  the  State  of 
Illinois  about  twenty  years  ago  from  this  writing,  and  a  monu- 


*. 


^ :^:    ■,-; 

'-;  ^            -     <^'  ' 

'  '^  ' 

'        , 

INDIANS  OF  MICHIGAN. 

27 

ment  was  raised  for  him  by  the  people  in  that  State.  Wa-ke-zoo 
was  another  gi'eat  chieftain  who  died  before  my  time  in  the 
country  of  Manitoba,  out  north.  He  was  also  one  of  my  father's 
brothers.  It  is  related  that  he  was  also  a  prophet  and  a  great 
magician.  ^   ?     ..  .    - 

My  own  dear  father  was  one  of  the  head  chiefs  at  Arbor 
Croclie,  now  called  Middle  Village  or  Good  Heart,  which  latter 
name  was  given  at  my  suggestion  by  the  Postoffice  Department 
at  Washington.  My  father  died  in  June,  1861.  His  Indian  name 
was  Macka-de-pe-nessy,*  which  means  Black  Hawk ;  but  somehow 
it  has  been  mistranslated  into  Blackbird,  so  we  now  go  by  this 
latter  name.  My  father  was  a  very  brave  man.  He  has  led  his 
warriors  several  times  on  the  warpath,  and  he  was  noted  as  one 
who  was  most  daring  and  adventurous  in  his  younger  days.  He 
stayed  about  twenty  years  in  the  country  of  Manitoba  with  his 
brother  Wa-ke-zoo,  among  other  tribes  of  Indians  and  white 
fur-traders  in  that  section  of  the  country.  Many  times  he  has 
grappled  with  and  narrowly  escaped  from  the  grizzly  bear  and 
treacherous  buffalo  which  were  then  very  numerous  in  that  por- 
tion  of  the  country.  This  was  about  one  hundred  years  ago.  He 
has  seen  there  things  that  would  be  almost  incredible  at  this  pres- 
ent age:  liquor  sold  to  the  Indians  measured  with  a  woman's 
thimble,  a  thimbleful  for  one  dollar ;  one  wooden  coarse  comb 
for  two  beaver  skins ;  a  double  handful  of  salt  for  one  beaver 
skin — and  so  on  in  proportion  in  everything  else;  the  poor  In- 
dian had  to  give  pile  upon  pile  of  beaver  skins,  which  might  be 
worth  two  or  three  hundred  dollars,  for  a  few  yards  of  flimsy 
cloth.  Englishmen  and  Frenchman  who  went  there  expressly  to 
traftic  with  the  Indians,  generally  started  from  Quebec  and  Mont- 
real, leaving  their  families  at  home;  but  so  soon  as  they  reached 
this  wild  country,  they  would  take  Indian  wives.  When  they 
left  the  country,  tliey  would  leave  their  Indian  wives  and  chil- 

♦  This  name  is  written  variously,  the  letters  d,  b,  t,  and  p,  being  considered 
identical  in  the  Ottawa  languag-e. — [Ed. 


28  THE  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

dren  there  to  shift  for  themselves.  Consequently  there  are  in 
this  region  thousands  of  half  breeds,  most  beautiful  men  and 
beautiful  women,  but  they  are  as  savage  as  the  rest  of  the  In- 
dians. No  white  man  there  ever  told  these  poor  Indians  anything 
about  Christianity,  but  only  added  unto  them  their  degradations 
and  robbed  them. 

My  father  was  once  there  left  to  perish  on  a  lonely  island  by 
the  fur  traders,  not  because  he  had  done  any  crime,  but  simply 
from  inhuman  cruelty  and  disregard  of  Indians  by  these  white 
men.  He  was  traveling  with  these  traders  from  place  to  place  in 
a  long  bark  canoe,  which  was  the  only  means  of  conveyance  on 
the  water  in  those  days.  It  appears  that  there  were  two  parties, 
and  two  of  these  long  bark  canoes  were  going  in  the  same  direc- 
tion, one  of  which  my  father  was  paddling  for  them.  He  was 
not  hired,  but  simply  had  joined  them  in  his  travels.  But  these 
two  parties  were  thrown  into  a  great  quarrel  about  who  should 
have  my  father  to  paddle  their  canoe.  Therefore  they  landed  on 
this  little  island  expressly  to  fight  amongst  themselves ;  and  after 
fighting  long  and  desperately,  they  left  my  poor  father  on  this 
little  island  to  die,  for  they  concluded  that  neither  of  them  should 
take  him  into  their  canoe.  He  was  left  to  die !  What  must  be 
the  feelings  of  this  poor  Indian,  to  whom  life  was  as  sweet  as  to 
any  human  creature  ?  What  revenge  should  he  take  upon  those 
traders  ?  He  had  a  gun,  which  he  leveled  at  them  as  they  started 
off  in  their  canoes.  His  fingers  were  on  the  trigger,  when  sud- 
denly a  thought  flashed  across  his  mind — "Perhaps  the  Great 
Spirit  will  be  displeased."  80  he  dropped  his  gun,  and  raised  a 
fervent  prayer  to  the  Almighty  Ruler  for  deliverance  from  this 
awful  situation.  After  being  several  days  on  this  little  island, 
when  almost  dying  from  starvation,  fortunately  deliverance  came. 
He  spied  a  small  canoe  with  two  persons  in  it  within  hail.  They 
came  and  took  him  off  from  his  dying  situation.  It  was  an  In- 
dian woman  with  her  little  son  who  happened  to  travel  in  that 
direction  who  saved  my  father's  life. 


INDIANS  OF  MICHIGAN.  '  29 


From  this  time  hence  my  father  lost  all  confidence  in  white 
men,  whatever  the  position  or  profession  of  the  white  man  might 
be,  whether  a  priest,  preacher,  lawyer,  doctor,  merchant,  or  com- 
mon white  man.  He  told  us  to  beware  of  them,  as  tliey  all  were 
after  one  great  object,  namely,  to  grasp  the  world's  wealth.  And 
in  order  to  obtain  this,  they  would  lie,  steal,  rob,  or  murder,  if  it 
need  be ;  therefore  he  instructed  us  to  beware  how  the  white  man 
would  approach  us  with  very  smooth  tongue,  while  his  heart  is 
full  of  deceit  and  far  from  intending  to  do  us  any  good. 

He  left  Manitoba  country  about  1800,  or  about  the  time  when 
the  Shawanee  prophet,  "  Waw-wo-yaw-ge-she-maw,"  who  was  one 
of  Tecumseh's  own  brothers,  sent  his  emissaries  to  preach  to  the 
Ottawas  and  Chippewas  in  the  Lower  and  Upper  Peninsulas  of 
Michigan,  who  advised  the  Ottawas  and  Chippewas  to  confess 
their  sins  and  avow  their  wrongs  and  go  west,  and  there  to  wor- 
ship the  Great  Spirit  according  to  the  old  style  as  their  forefathers 
did,*  and  to  abandon  everything  else  which  the  white  man  had 
introduced  into  the  tribes  of  Indians,  to  abandon  even  the  mode 
of  making  fire,  which  was  by  flint  and  steel,  and  to  start  their 
fires  by  friction  between  the  two  pieces  of  dry  wood  as  their  fore- 
fathers made  their  fires  before  the  white  people  came  to  this 
country,  and  to  eat  no  flesh  of  domestic  animals,  but  to  eat  noth- 
ing but  wild  game,  and  use  their  skins  for  their  wearing  apparel 
and  robes  as  the  Great  Spirit  designed  them  to  be  when  He  cre- 
ated them.  He  taught  them  that  the  Great  Spirit  was  angry  with 
them  because  they  conformed  to  the  habits  of  the  white  man, 
and  that  if  they  did  not  believe  and  practice  the  old  habits,  the 
Great  Spirit  would  shake  the  earth  as  an  evidence  that  he  tells 
them  the  truth.  A  great  many  Ottawas  believed  and  went  far 
west  accordingly.    And  it  happened  about  this  time  the  earth  did 


♦The  worship  of  the  Great  Spirit  consisted  mostly  in  songs  and  dancing  ac- 
companied with  an  Indian  drum,  which  has  a  very  deep  and  solemn  sound,  al- 
not  very  large,  about  a  foot  in  diameter.  I  used  to  think  that  the  sound  of  it 
must  reach  to  the  heaven  where  the  Great  Spirit  is. 


80  THE  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

quake  in  Michigan;  I  think,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  the  earth 
shook  twice  within  a  year,  which  is  recorded  in  the  annals  of  this 
country.  At  the  earthquake  many  Indians  were  frightened,  and 
consequently  many  more  believed  and  went  west ;  but  nearly  all 
of  them  died  out  there  because  the  climate  did  not  agree  with 
them.  Saw-gaw-kee — Growing-plant — was  the  head  chief  of  the 
Ottawa  nation  of  Indians  at  that  time,  and  was  one  of  the  believ- 
ers who  went  with  the  parties  out  west,  and  he  also  died  there* 
This  is  the  second  time  that  the  Ottawas  were  terribly  reduced  in 
numbers  in  the  country  of  Arbor  Croche. 


♦This  Chief  Saw-gaw-kee  was  Ne-saw-wa-quat's  father,  the  last  head  chief 
of  Little  Traverse.  Ne-saw-wa-quat  was  the  only  child  remaining  alive  of  the 
whole  family  of  Saw-gaw-kee.  Therefore  the  child  was  brought  back  to  this 
country  and  was  the  last  head  chief  of  Little  Traverse,  now  Harbor  Springs. 


INDIANS  OP  MICHIGAN.  81 


CHAPTER  V. 

The  Author's  Father  Appointed  Speaker  for  the  Ottawas  and  Chippe 
was — The  Only  Ottawa  Who  was  Friendly  to  Education — Making 
Alphabet — Acting  as  School  Teacher — Moving  Disposition  of  the 
Ottawas — Mode  of  Traveling — Tradition  of  William  Blackbird 
Being  Fed  by  Angelic  Beings  in  the  Wilderness — His  being  Put 
into  Mission  School  by  His  Father — Studying  to  be  a  Priest — His 
Assassination  in  the  City  of  Rome,  Italy,  Almost  the  Day  When 
He  was  to  be  Ordained — Memorial  Poem — The  Author's  Remarks 
on  the  Death  of  His  Brother. 

After  my  father's  return  to  Arbor  Croche,  he  became  quite  an 
orator,  and  consequently  he  was  appointed  as  the  head  speaker 
in  the  council  of  the  Ottawa  and  Chippewa  Indians.  He  contin- 
ued to  hold  this  office  until  his  frame  was  beginning  to  totter  with 
age,  his  memory  became  disconnected  and  inactive,  and  he  there- 
fore gave  up  his  office  to  his  own  messenger,  whose  name  was 
Joseph  As-saw-gon,  who  died  during  the  late  rebellion  in  the 
United  States  while  Hon.  D.  C  Leach,  of  Traverse  City,  was 
the  Michigan  Indian  Agent.  As-saw-gon  was  indeed  quite  an 
orator,  considering  his  scanty  opportunities.  He  had  no  educa- 
tion at  all,  but  was  naturally  gifted  as  an  orator.  He  was  quite 
logical  and  allegorical  in  his  manner  of  speaking.  I  have  heard 
several  white  people  remark,  who  had  listened  to  his  speeches 
through  the  imperfect  interpreters,  that  he  was  as  good  a  speaker 
as  any  orator  who  had  been  thoroughly  educated. 

My  father  was  the  only  man  who  was  friendly  to  education. 
When  I  was  a  little  boy,  I  remember  distinctly  his  making  his 
own  alphabet,  which  he  called  "  Paw-pa-pe-po."  With  this  he 
learned  how  to  read  and  write ;  and  afterwards  he  taught  other 
Indians  to  read  and  write  according  to  his  alphabet.  He  taught 
no  children,  but  only  the  grown  persons.    Our  wigwam,  which 


82  THE   OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

was  about  sixty  or  seventy  feet  long,  where  we  lived  in  the  sum- 
mer time,  was  like  a  regular  school-house,  with  my  father  as 
teacher  of  the  school,  and  they  had  merry  times  in  it.  Many  In- 
dians came  there  to  learn  his  Paw-pa-pe-po,  and  some  of  them 
were  very  easy  to  learn,  while  others  found  learning  extremely 
difficult. 

We  were  ten  of  us  children  in  the  family,  six  boys  and  four 
girls.  I  was  the  youngest  of  all  who  were  living  at  that  time. 
The  eldest  boy  was  one  of  the  greatest  hunters  among  the  Otta- 
was.  His  name  was  Pung-o-wish,  named  after  our  great-grand- 
father, but  he  was  afterwards  called  Peter  by  the  Catholic  mis- 
sionaries when  he  was  baptised  into  the  Catholic  religion.  One 
of  my  brothers  who  was  five  or  six  years  younger  than  my  eldest 
brother  was  a  remarkably  interesting  boy.  His  name  was  Pe- 
taw-wan-e-quot,  though  he  was  afterwards  called  William.  He 
was  quick  to  learn  Paw-pa-pe-po,  and  very  curious  and  interesting 
questions  he  would  often  ask  of  his  father,  which  would  greatly 
puzzle  the  old  man  to  answer. 

All  the  Indians  of  Arbor  Croche  used  only  to  stay  there  during 
the  summer  time,  to  plant  their  corn,  potatoes,  and  other  vege- 
tables. As  soon  as  their  crops  were  put  away  in  the  ground,*  they 
would  start  all  together  towards  the  south,  going  to  different 
points,  some  going  as  far  as  Chicago  expressly  to  trap  the  musk- 
rats,  beavers,  and  many  other  kinds  of  furs,  and  others  to  the  St. 
Joe  River,  Black  River,  Grand  River,  or  Muskegon  River,  there 
to  trap  and  hunt  all  winter,  and  make  sugar  in  the  spring.  After 
sugar  making  they  would  come  back  again  to  Waw-gaw-naw-ke- 
zee,  or  Arbor  Croche,  to  spend  the  summer  and  to  raise  their  crops 
again  as  before. 

♦The  mode  of  securing  their  corn  was  first  to  dry  the  ears  by  fire.     When 

perfectly  dry,  they  would  then  beat  them  with  a  flail  and  pick  all  the  cobs  out. 

"^rhe  grain  was  then  winnowed  and  put  into  sacks.    These  were  put  in  the  ground 

in  a  large  cylinder  made  out  of  elm  bark,  set  in  deep  in  the  ground  and  made 

very  dry,  filling  this  cylinder  full  and  then  covering  it  to  stay  there  for  winter 
and  summer  use. 


INDIANS  OP  MICHIGAN.  33 

In  navigating  Lake  Michigan  they  used  long  bark  canoes  in 
whicli  they  carried  their  wliole  families  and  enough  provisions  to 
last  them  all  winter.  These  canoes  were  made  very  light,  out  of 
white  birch  bark,  and  with  a  fair  wind  they  could  skip  very  light- 
ly on  tlie  waters,  going  very  fast,  and  could  stind  a  very  heavy 
sea.  In  one  day  they  could  sail  quite  a  long  distance  along  the 
coast  of  Lake  Michigan.  When  night  overtook  them  they  would 
land  and  make  wigwams  with  light  poles  of  cedar  which  they  al- 
ways carried  in  their  canoes.  These  wigwams  were  covered  with 
mats  made  for  that  purpose  out  of  prepared  marsh  reeds  or  flags 
sewed  together,  which  made  very  good  slielter  from  rain  and 
wind,  and  were  very  warm  after  making  fires  inside  of  them. 
They  had  another  kind  of  mat  to  spread  on  the  ground  to  sit  and 
sleep  on.  These  mats  are  quite  beautifully  made  out  of  different 
colors,  and  closely  woven,  of  well  prepared  bull-rushes.*  After 
breakfast  in  the  morning  they  are  off  again  in  the  big  canoes. 

My  father's  favorite  winter  quarters  were  somewliere  above 
Big  Rapids  on  Muskegon  River.  He  hunted  and  trapped  there 
all  winter  and  made  sugar.  A  very  mysterious  event  happened 
to  my  brother  William  while  my  folks  were  making  sugar  there. 
One  beautiful  morning  after  the  snow  had  entirely  disappeared 
in  the  woods,  my  brother  William,  then  at  the  age  of  about  eight 
or  nine. years,  was  shooting  around  with  his  little  bow  and  arrowa 
among  the  sugar  trees,  but  that  day  he  never  came  home.  At  sun- 
down, our  parents  were  beginning  to  feel  very  uneasy  about  their 
little  boy,  and  yet  they  tliouglit  he  must  have  gone  to  some  neigh- 
boring sugar  bush,  as  there  were  quite  a  number  of  families  also 
making  sugar  in  the  vicinity.  Early  in  the  morning,  my  father 
went  to  all  the  neighboring  sugar  camps,  but  William  was  no- 
where to  be  found.    So  at  once  a  search  was  instituted.    Men 


♦To  prepare  these  bull -rushes  for  mats,  they  are  cut  when  very  green,  and 
then  they  go  through  the  process  of  steaming,  after  bleaching  by  the  si  n  ;  thejr 
are  colored  before  they  are  woven.    They  are  generally  made  about  six  or  eiffht     '^ 
feet  long  and  about  four  feet  wide. 


84  THE  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

and  boys  were  out  in  search  for  the  boy,  calling  and  shooting 
their  guns  far  and  near,  but  not  a  trace  of  him  anywhere  could 
be  found.  Our  parents  were  almost  distracted  with  anxiety  and 
fear  about  their  boy,  and  they  continued  the  search  three  days  in 
vain.  On  the  fourth  day,  one  of  our  cousins,  whose  name  was 
Oge-maw-we-ne-ne,  came  to  a  very  deep  gully  between  two  hills. 
He  went  up  to  the  top  of  the  highest  hill  in  order  to  be  heard  a 
long  distance.  When  he  reached  the  top,  he  began  to  halloo  as  loud 
as  he  could,  calling  the  child  by  name,  Pe-taw-on-e-quot.  At  the 
end  of  his  shouting  he  thought  he  heard  some  one  responding  to 
his  call,  "  Wau?"  This  word  is  one  of  the  interrogatives  in  the 
Indian  language,  and  is  equivalent  to  "what"  in  the  English  lan- 
guage. He  listened  a  few  minutes,  and  again  he  called  as  before, 
and  again  heard  distinctly  the  same  response,  "Wau?"  It  came 
from  above,  right  over  his  head,  and  as  he  looked  upwards  he 
saw  the  boy,  almost  at  the  top  of  a  tree,  standing  on  a  small  limb 
in  a  very  dangerous  situation.  He  said,  "  Hello,  what  are  you 
doing  up  there?  Can't  you  come  down?"  "Yes,  I  can,"  was 
the  answer ;  "  I  came  up  here  to  find  out  where  I  am,  and  which 
way  is  our  sugar  camp."  "Come  down,  then;  I  will  show  you 
which  way  is  your  home."  After  he  came  down  from  the  tree, 
our  cousin  offered  him  food,  but  the  child  would  not  touch  a 
morsel,  saying  that  he  was  not  hungry  as  he  had  eaten  only  a  little 
while  ago.  "Ah,  you  have  been  fed  then.  Who  fed  you?  We 
have  been  looking  for  you  now  over  three  days."  The  boy  re- 
plied, "  I  had  every  thing  tliat  I  wanted  to  eat  in  the  great  festi- 
val of  the  "  Wa-me-te-go-zhe-wog."  which  is  "the  white  people." 
"  Where  are  they  now  ? "  asked  our  cousin.  "  That  is  just  what  I 
would  like  to  know,  too,"  said  the  boy;  "I  had  just  come  out  of 
their  nice  house  between  the  two  hills,  and  as  I  loolied  back  after 
I  came  out  of  their  door  I  saw  no  more  of  their  house,  and 
heard  no  more  of  them  nor  their  music."  Our  cousin  again 
questioned  the  boy,  "  How  did  you  come  to  find  these  Wa-me-te- 
go-zhe-wog  here  ?"    And  little  William  replied,  "Those  Wa-me- 


INDIANS  OP   MICHIGAN.  35 

te-go-zhe-wog  came  to  our  sugar  camp  and  invited  me  to  go  with 
them,  but  I  thought  it  was  very  close  by.  I  thouglit  we  walked 
only  just  a  few  steps  to  come  to  their  door."  Our  cousin  believ- 
ed it  Avas  some  supernatural  event  and  hastened  to  take  the  boy 
to  his  anxious  parents.  Again  and  again  little  William  told  the 
same  story  when  interrogated  by  any  person,  and  it  is  firmly  be- 
lieved by  all  our  family  and  friends  that  he  was  cherished  and  fed 
three  days  in  succession  by  angelic  beings. 

When  he  was  about  twelve  or  thirteen  years  of  age  the  Protest- 
ant Mission  School  started  at  Mackinac  Island,  and  my  father 
thought  best  to  put  him  to  that  school.  After  being  there  less 
than  a  year,  he  was  going  around  with  his  teachers,  acting  as  in- 
terpreter among  the  Indian  camps  at  the  Island  of  Mackinac.  I 
was  perfectly  astonished  to  see  how  quick  he  had  acquired  the 
English  language.  After  the  mission  broke  up  at  the  island, 
about  the  time  the  Catholic  mission  was  established  at  Little 
Traverse,  William  came  home  and  stayed  with  us  for  about  two 
years,  when  he  was  again  taken  by  Bishop  Reese  with  his  little 
sister,  a  very  lovely  girl,  whom  the  white  people  call  Auntie 
Margaret,  or  Queen  of  the  Ottawas.  They  were  taken  down  to 
Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  they  were  put  into  higher  schools,  and 
there  my  brother  attained  the  highest  degree  of  education,  or 
graduation  as  it  is  called. 

From  thence  he  was  taken  across  the  ocean  to  the  city  of  Rome, 
Italy,  to  study  for  the  priesthood,  leaving  his  little  sister  in  Cin- 
cinnati. It  is  related  that  he  was  a  very  eloquent  and  powerful 
orator,  and  was  considered  a  very  promising  man  by  the  people 
of  the  city  of  Rome,  and  received  great  attention  from  the  noble 
families,  on  account  of  his  wisdom  and  talent  and  his  being  a 
native  American ;  and  yet  he  had  a  much  lighter  complexion  than 
his  cousin  Aug  Hamlin,  who  was  also  taken  over  there  and  repre- 
sented as  half  French. 

While  he  was  at  Rome,  the  proposition  arose  in  this  country  to 
buy  out  the  Michigan  Indians  by  the  Government  of  the  United 


86  THE  OTTAWA   AND  CHIPPEWA 

States,  and  he  wrote  to  his  people  at  Arbor  Croche  and  to  Little 
Traverse  on  this  very  subject,  advising  them  not  to  sell  out  nor 
make  any  contract  with  the  United  States  Government,  but  to 
hold  on  until  he  could  return  to  America,  when  he  would  en- 
deavor to  aid  them  in  making  out  the  contract  or  treaty  with  the 
United  States.  Never  to  give  up,  not  even  if  they  should  be 
threatened  with  annihilation  or  to  be  driven  away  at  the  point  of 
the  bayonet  from  their  native  soil.  I  wish  I  could  produce  some 
of  this  correspondence,  but  only  one  letter  from  him  can  now  be 
found,  which  is  here  given :  3 

Rome,  April  17,  18|3.  2 
My  Dear  Sister: 

It  is  a  long  time  since  I  wrote  you  a  few  lines.  I  would  write 
oftener  if  the  time  would  permit,  but  I  have  very  few  leisure 
moments.  However,  as  we  have  a  holiday  to-day,  I  determine  to 
write  a  line  or  two.  I  have  to  attend  to  my  studies  from  morning 
till  sunset.  I  thank  you  very  much  for  your  kind  letter  which  I 
received  some  time  ago  by  politeness  of  Rev.  Mr.  Seajean.  My 
dearest  sister,  you  may  have  felt  lost  after  I  left  you ;  you  must 
consider  who  loves  you  with  all  the  affection  of  parents.  What 
can  we  return  to  those  who  have  done  us  much  good,  but  humble 
prayers  for  them  that  the  Almighty  may  reward  them  for  the 
benefit  they  have  done  in  this  poor  mortal  world.  I  was  very 
happy  when  informed  by  Father  Mullen  that  you  had  received 
six  premiums  at  the  examination ;  nothing  else  would  more  im- 
press my  heart  than  to  hear  of  the  success  of  your  scholastic 
studies.  I  entreat  you,  dearest  sister,  to  learn  what  is  good  and 
to  despise  the  evil,  and  offer  your  prayers  to  the  Almighty  God 
and  rely  on  Him  alone,  and  by  His  blessing  you  may  continue  to 
improve  your  time  well.  You  can  have  no  idea  how  the  people 
here  are  devoted  to  the  Virgin  Mary.  At  every  corner  of  the 
streets  there  is  the  image  of  her,  and  some  of  these  have  lights 
burning  day  and  night.  I  think  of  you  very  often  t  perhaps  I 
ghall  never  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you  again.    I  have  been 


INDIANS  OF   MICHIGAN.  37 

unwell  ever  since  I  came  to  this  country.  However,  I  am  yet  able 
to  attend  my  school  and  studies.  I  hope  I  will  not  be  worse,  so 
that  I  may  be  unable  to  follow  my  intention. 

There  are  really  fine  things  to  be  seen  in  Rome.  On  the  feast  of 
S8.  Sebastian  and  Fabian  we  visited  the  Catacombs,  two  or  three 
miles  out  of  the  city,  where  is  a  church  dedicated  to  those  saints, 
which  I  have  already  mentioned  in  previous  letters.  Perhaps  our 
countrymen  would  not  believe  that  there  was  such  a  place  as  that 
place  wliich  I  saw  myself  with  my  own  naked  eyes.  We  entered 
in  with  lights  and  saw  the  scene  before  us.  As  soon  as  we  enter- 
ed we  saw  coffins  on  the  top  of  each  other,  in  one  of  which  we 
saw  some  of  the  remains.  The  cave  runs  in  every  direction, 
sometimes  is  ascended  by  steps,  and  sometimes  runs  deeper,  and 
one  would  be  very  easily  lost  in  it.  There  are  some  large  places 
and  a  chapel ;  I  am  told  by  the  students  that  the  chapel  is  where 
Pope  Gregory  was  accustomed  to  say  mass.  I  assure  you  it  would 
excite  any  human  heart  to  behold  the  place  where  the  ancient 
Christians  were  concealed  under  the  earth  from  the  persecution 
of  the  anti-christians.  Indeed  they  were  concealed  by  the  power 
of  God.    They  sought  Jesus  and  Him  alone  they  loved. 

It  is  the  custom  of  the  College  of  the  Propaganda,  on  the  feast  of 
Epiphany  each  year,  that  the  students  should  deliver  a  discourse 
in  their  own  respective  languages.  This  year  there  were  thirty- 
one  different  languages  delivered  by  the  students,  so  you  may 
judge  what  kind  of  a  college  this  is.  At  present  it  is  quite  full ; 
there  are  ninety-three,  of  which  thirteen  are  from  the  United 
States. 

On  Easter  Sunday  the  Holy  Father  celebrated  mass  in  the 
church  of  St.  Peter.  It  is  very  seldom  that  his  holiness  is  seen 
personally  celebrating  mass  in  public  except  on  great  festivals. 
The  church  was  crowded  with  spectators,  both  citizens  of  Rome 
and  foreigners.  On  the  front  part  of  the  church  there  was  an 
elevated  place  beautifully  ornamented.  After  the  solemn  cere- 
monies the  Holy  Father  went  up  and  gave  his  paternal  benedic- 


88  THE  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

tion  to  the  people.  There  is  a  large  square  before  St.  Peter's, 
and  it  was  crowded  so  that  it  was  impossible  to  kneel  down  to 
receive  the  benediction. 

This  week  we  are  quite  merrj'- ;  we  seem  to  employ  our  minds 
on  the  merriment  which  is  always  displayed  amongst  us  on  such 
occasions.  Our  secretary  is  now  Cardinal,  and  to-morrow  he  will 
be  crowned  with  the  dignity  of  the  Cardinal.  Our  college  has 
been  illuminated  these  two  evenings.  The  congregational  halls 
of  the  Propaganda  were  opened  on  this  occasion.  The  new  Car- 
dinal then  received  all  the  compliments  of  the  Cardinals,  Bishops, 
Prelatps,  Ambassadinw,  Priuues,  and  other  distinguished  dignities. 
There  are  two  large  beautiful  rooms,  in  one  of  which  the  new 
Cardinal  was  seated  and  received  all  those  who  came  to  pay  him 
compliments.  The  visitors  all  came  through  the  same  passage, 
and  there  was  a  man  posted  in  each  room  who  received  them  and 
cried  out  to  others  that  such  man  was  coming,  and  so  on  through 
all  those  that  were  placed  for  the  purpose,  and  one  called  the 
Cardinal  gentleman  introduced  them  to  the  new  Cardinal.  If 
there  were  such  a  thing  in  America  it  would  be  quite  a  novelty. 

It  is  time  for  me  to  close,  and  I  hope  you  will  write  me  some- 
times.   My  respects  to  the  Sisters  and  Father  ^Fullen.    Farewell, 
dear  sister;  pray  for  your  Superior  and  for  me. 
I  remain  your  most  affectionate  brother, 

William  Maccatebinessi. 

After  his  death,  some  one  at  Cincinnati  wrote  the  following,  to 
be  repeated  before  a  large  audience  in  tliat  city  by  his  little  sister 
Margaret,  who  was  there  at  school.  The  poetry  was  impressive- 
ly recited  and  listened  to  by  many  people  with  wet  eyes.  This 
gifted  child  of  nature  died  June  25,  1883. 

*'The  morning  breaks;  see  how  the  glorious  sun, 
Slow  wheeling  from  the  east,  new  lustre  sheds 
O'er  the  soft  clime  of  Italy.    Tlie  flower 
That  kept  its  perfume  in  the  dewy  night, 


INDIANS  OF  MICniGAN.  39 

Now  breathes  it  forth  again.     Hill,  vale  and  grove, 

Clad  in  ricli  verdure,  bloom,  and  from  the  rocks 

The  joyous  waters  leap.     O !  meet  it  is 

That  thou,  imperial  Rome,  should  lift  thy  head. 

Decked  with  the  triple  crown,  where  cloudless  skies      ,, 

And  lands  rejoicing  in  the  summer  sun, 

Rich  blessings  yield. 

But  there  is  grief  to-day. 

A  voice  is  heard  within  thy  marble  walls,  '    , 

A  vcice  lamenting  for  the  youthful  dead; 

For  o'er  the  relics  of  her  forest  boy 

The  mother  of  dead  Empires  weeps.     Audio! 

Clad  in  white  robes  the  long  procession  moves; 

Youths  throng  around  the  bier,  and  high  in  front,    . 

Star  of  our  hope,  the  glo.ious  cross  is  reared. 

Triumphant  sign.    The  low,  sweet  voice  of  prayer, 

Flowing  i^)ontaneous  from  the  spirit's  depths. 

Pours  its  rich  tones;  and  now  the  requiem  swells, 

Now  dies  upon  the  ear. 

But  there  is  (me* 

Who  stands  beside  my  brother's  grave,  and  tho'  no  tear 

Dims  his  dark  eye,  yet  does  his  spirit  weep. 

With  beating  heart  he  gazes  on  the  spot  (   , 

Where  his  young  comrade  shall  forever  rest. 

For  they  together  left  their  forest  home. 

Led  by  Father  Reese,  who  to  their  fathers  preached 

Glad  tiding  of  great  joy;  the  holy  man  my  brother. 

Who  sleeps  beneath  the  soil  the  Father  Reese's  labors  blessed. 

How  must  the  spirit  mourn,  the  bosom  heave. 

Of  that  lone  Indian  boy!     No  tongue  can  speak 

The  accents  of  his  tribe,  and  as  he  bends 

In  melancholy  mood  above  the  dead, 


*His  cousin  Hamlin. 


40  THE  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

Imagination  clothes  his  tearful  thoughts 
In  rude  but  plaintive  cadences. 

Soft  be  my  brother's  sleep! 
At  nature's  call  the  cypress  here  shall  wave, 
The  wailing  winds  lament  above  the  grave, 

The  dewy  night  shall  weep. 

And  he  thou  leavest  forlorn,  '" 

Oh,  he  shall  come  to  shade  my  brother's  grave  with  moss. 
To  plant  what  thou  didst  love — the  mystic  cross, 

To  hope,  to  pray,  to  mourn.  '       , 

No  marble  here  shall  rise; 
But  o'er  thy  grave  he'll  teach  the  forest  tree 
To  lift  its  glorious  head  and  point  to  thee. 

Rejoicing  in  the  skies. 

And  when  it  feels  the  breeze, 
I'll  think  thy  spirit  wakes  that  gentle  sound 
Such  as  our  fathers  thought  when  all  around 

Shook  the  old  forest  leaves. 

Dost  thou  forget  the  hour,  my  brother. 
When  first  we  heard  the  Christian's  hope  revealed, 
When  fearless  warriors  felt  their  bosoms  yield 

Beneath  Almighty  power? 

Then  truths  came  o'er  us  fast. 
Whilst  on  the  mound  the  missionary  stood 
And  thro'  the  list'ning  silence  of  the  wood 

His  words  like  spirits  passed. 

And  oh,  hadst  thou  been  spared, 
We  two  had  gone  to  bless  our  fathers'  land, 
To  spread  rich  stores  around,  and  hand  in  hand 

Each  holy  labor  shared. 


INDIANS  OF  MICHIGAN.  41 

But  here  the  relics  of  my  brother  lie, 
Where  nature's  flowers  shall  bloom  o'er  nature's  child, 
Where  ruins  stretch,  and  classic  art  has  piled 

Her  monuments  on  high. 

Sleep  on,  my  brother,  sleep  peaceful  here 
Tiie  traveler  from  thy  land  will  claim  this  spot, 
And  give  to  thee  what  kingly  tombs  have  not — 

The  tribute  of  a  tear  with  me,  mv  brother. 

He  died  almost  the  very  day  when  he  was  to  be  ordained  a 
priest.  He  received  a  long  visit  from  his  cousin  Hamlin  that 
evening,  and  they  sat  late  in  the  night,  talking  on  various  sub- 
jects, and  particularly  on  American  matters  and  his  ordination. 
My  brother  was  perfectly  well  and  robust  at  that  time,  and  full  of 
lively  spirits.  He  told  his  cousin  that  night,  that  if  he  ever  set 
his  foot  again  on  American  soil,  his  people,  the  Ottawas  and 
Chippewas  of  Michigan,  should  always  r  miain  where  they  were. 
The  United  States  would  never  be  able  to  compel  them  to  go  west 
of  the  Mississippi,  for  he  knew  the  way  to  prevent  them  from 
being  driven  off  from  their  native  land.  He  also  told  his  cousin 
that  as  soon  as  he  was  ordained  and  relieved  from  Rome,  he 
would  at  once  start  for  America,  and  go  right  straight  to  Wash- 
ington to  see  the  President  of  the  United  States,  in  order  to  hold 
conference  with  him  on  the  subject  of  his  people  and  their  lands. 
There  was  a  great  preparation  for  the  occasion  of  his  ordination. 
A  great  cermony  was  to  be  in  St.  Peter's  Church,  because  a  native 
American  Indian,  son  of  the  chief  of  the  Ottawa  tribe  of  Indians, 
a  prince  of  the  forests  of  Michigan,  was  to  be  ordained  a  priest, 
which  had  npver  before  happened  since  the  discovery  of  the 
Aborigines  in  America.  In  the  morning,  at  the  breakfast  table, 
my  brother  William  did  not  appear,  and  every  one  was  surprised 
not  to  see  him  at  the  table.  After  breaklast,  a  messenger  was  sent 
lo  his  room.  He  soon  returned  with  the  shocking  news  that  he 
was  dead.    Then  the  authorities  of  the  college  arose  and  rushed 


42  THE   OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA  ' 

to  the  scene,  and  there  they  found  him  on  the  floor,  lying  in  his 
own  blood.  When  Hamlin,  his  cousin  heard  of  it,  he  too  rushed 
to  the  room;  and  after  his  cousin's  body  was  taken  out,  wrapped 
up  in  a  cloth,  he  went  in,  and  saw  at  once  enough  to  tell  him  that 
it  was  the  work  of  the  assassin. 

When  the  news  reached  to  Little  Traverse,  now  Harbor  Springs, 
all  the  country  of  Arbor  Croche  was  enveloi)ed  in  deep  mourn- 
ing, and  a  great  lamentation  took  place  among  the  Ottawas  and 
Chippewas  in  this  country  with  the  expression,  "  All  our  hope  is 
gone."  Many  people  came  to  our  dwelling  to  learn  full  particu- 
lars of  my  brother's  death,  and  to  console  and  mourn  with  his 
father  in  his  great  bereavement. 

No  motive  for  the  assassination  lias  ever  been  developed,  and 
it  remains  to  this  day  a  mystery.  It  was  related  that  there  was 
no  known  enemy  in  the  institution  i)revious  to  his  death;  but  he 
was  much  thought  of  and  beloved  by  every  one  in  the  college. 
It  was  an  honor  to  be  with  him  and  to  converse  with  him,  as  it  is 
related  that  his  conversation  was  always  most  noble  and  instruct- 
ive. It  was  even  considered  a  great  honor  to  sit  by  him  at  the 
tables ;  as  it  is  related  that  the  students  of  the  college  used  to  have 
a  strife  amongst  themselves  who  should  be  the  first  to  sit  by  him. 
There  were  several  American  students  at  Rome  at  that  time,  and 
it  was  claimed  by  the  Italians  that  my  brother's  death  came 
through  some  of  the  American  students  from  a  secret  plot  origi- 
nating in  this  country  to  remove  this  Indian  youth  who  had  at- 
tained the  highest  pinnacle  of  science  and  who  had  become  tlieir 
equal  in  wisdom,  and  in  all  the  important  questions  of  the  day, 
both  in  temporal  and  spiritual  matters.  He  was  slain,  it  has  been 
said,  because  it  was  found  out  that  he  was  counseling  his  people 
on  the  subject  of  their  lands  and  their  treaties  with  the  Govern- 
ment of  the  United  States.  His  death  deprived  the  Ottawa  and 
Chippewa  Indians  of  a  wise  counselor  and  adviser,  one  of  their 
own  native  countrymen ;  but  it  seems  that  it  would  be  impossible 
for  the  American  people  in  this  Christian  laud  to  make  such  a 


INDIANS  OF   MICHIGAN.  43 

wicked  conspiracy  against  this  poor  son  of  the  forest  who  had 
become  as  wise  as  any  of  them  and  a  great  statesman  for  his 
country.  Yet  it  might  be  possible,  for  we  have  learned  that  we 
cannot  always  trust  the  American  people  as  to  their  integrity  and 
stability  in  well  doing  with  us. 

It  is  said  the  stains  of  my  brother's  blood  can  be  seen  to  this 
day  in  Rome,  as  the  room  ha.s  been  kei)t  as  a  memorial,  and  is 
shown  to  travelers  from  this  country.  His  statue  in  full  size  can 
also  be  seen  there,  which  is  said  to  be  a  perfect  image  of  him. 
His  trunk  containing  his  books  and  clothing  was  sent  from  Rome 
to  this  country,  and  it  came  all  right  until  it  reached  Detroit. 
There  it  was  lost,  or  exchanged  for  another,  which  was  sent  to 
Little  Traverse.  It  was  sent  back  with  a  request  to  forward  the 
right  one,  but  that  was  the  end  of  it,  and  no  explanation  was  ever 
received. 

Soon  after  the  death  of  my  brother  William,  my  sister  Margaret 
left  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  came  to  Detroit,  Mich.,  where  she  was 
employed  as  teacher  of  the  orphan  children  at  a  Catholic  institu- 
tion. She  left  Detroit  about  1835,  and  came  to  Little  Traverse, 
where  she  at  once  began  1o  teach  the  Indian  children  for  the 
Catholic  mission.  She  has  ever  since  been  very  useful  to  her 
people,  but  is  now  a  decrepit  old  lady  and  sometimes  goes  by  the 
name  of  Aunty  Margaret,  or  Queen  of  the  Ottawas.  She  is  con- 
stantly employed  in  making  Indian  curiosities— wearing  out  her 
fingers  and  eyes  to  make  her  living  and  keep  her  home.  Like 
many  others  of  her  race,  she  has  been  made  the  victim  of  fraud 
and  extortion.  Some  years  ago  a  white  man  came  to  the  Indian 
country  and  committed  many  crimes,  for  some  of  which  he  is 
now  in  prison.  Soon  after  he  came  here,  this  wicked  man  pre- 
tended he  was  gored  by  an  ox — although  there  were  no  marks  of 
of  violence — which  he  claimed  belonged  to  Mr.  Boyd,  Aunty 
Margaret's  husband,  and  he  therefore  sued  Mr.  Boyd  for  damages 
for  several  hundred  dollars;  and  although  the  ox  which  he 
claimed  had  injured  him  did  not  belong  to  Mr.  Boyd,  and  there 


44  THE  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

was  no  eye  witness  in  the  case,  yet  lie  obtained  judgment  for 
damages  against  him,  and  a  mortgage  had  to  be  given  on  tlie  land 
which  the  Government  had  given  her.  The  Indian's  oath  and 
evidence  are  not  regarded  in  this  country,  and  he  stands  a  very 
poor  chance  before  the  law.  Although  they  are  citizens  of  the 
State,  they  are  continually  being  taken  advantage  of  by  the  at,, 
torneys  of  the  land ;  they  are  continually  being  robbed  and  cheat- 
ed out  of  their  property,  and  they  can  obtain  no  protection  nor 
redress  whatever. 

Before  Mr.  Hamlin,  my  cousin,  left  Italy,  he  was  asked  by  the 
authorities  if  William  had  any  younger  brother  in  America  of  a 
fit  age  to  attend  school.  He  told  the  authorities  that  the  deceased 
had  one  brother  just  the  right  age  to  begin  school — that  was  my- 
self. Then  there  was  an  order  for  me  to  be  sent  to  Rome  to  take 
the  place  of  my  brother;  but  when  my  father  heard  of  it,  he  said, 
*'  No ;  they  have  killed  one  of  my  sons  after  they  have  educated 
him,  and  they  will  kill  another."  Hamlin  came  home  soon  after 
my  brother's  death,  and  some  time  after  the  Treaty  of  1836  he 
was  appointed  U.  8.  Interpreter  and  continued  to  hold  this  office 
until  1861,  at  which  time  I  succeeded  him. 


INDIANS  OP  MICHIGAN.  4^ 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Account  of  the  Indians'  Roving  Disposition,  Their  Feasts  and  Their 
Customs — Saluting  Arbor  Croche  Every  Spring  of  the  Year — How 
the  Catholic  Religion  was  Introduced  Among  the  Ottawas — The 
Missions — Signing  of  the  Treaty,  March  8,  1836. 

I  will  again  return  to  my  narrative  respecting  how  the  Ottawas 
used  to  live  and  travel  to  and  fro  in  the  State  of  Michigan,  and 
how  they  came  to  join  the  Catholic  religion  at  Arbur  Cioclie. 
Early  in  the  spring  we  used  to  come  down  this  beautififl  stream 
of  water  (Muskegon  River)  in  our  long  bark  canoes,  loaded  with 
sugar,  furs,  deer  skins,  prepared  venison  for  summer  use,  bear's 
oil,  and  bear  meat  prepared  in  oil,  deer  tallow,  and  sometimes  a 
lot  of  honey,  etc.  On  reaching  the  mouth  of  this  river  we  halted 
for  five  or  six  days,  when  all  the  other  Indians  gathered,  as  was 
customary,  expressly  to  feast  for  the  dead.  All  the  Indians  and 
children  used  to  go  around  among  the  camps  and  salute  one  an- 
other with  the  words,  "Ne-baw-baw-tche-baw-yew,"  that  is  to  say, 
"I  am  or  we  are  going  around  as  spirits,"  feasting  aud  throwing 
food  into  the  fire — as  they  believe  the  spirits  of  the  dead  take  the 
victuals  and  eat  as  they  are  consumed  in  the  fire. 

After  the  feast  of  the  dead,  we  would  all  start  for  Arbor  Croche, 
our  summer  resort,  to  plan|;  our  corn  and  other  vegetables.  At 
the  crossing  of  Little  Traverse  Bay  at  the  point  called  "  Ki-tche- 
ossening,"  that  is  to  say,  *'on  the  big  rock,"  all  the  Indians  wait- 
ed until  all  the  canoes  arrived,  after  which  they  would  all  start 
together  in  crossing  the  bay.  When  about  half  way  across  they 
would  begin  to  salute  Arbor  Croche  by  shooting  with  guns,  hold- 
ing them  close  to  the  water  in  order  that  the  sound  might  reach 
to  each  side  of  the  bay,  to  be  heard  by  those  few  who  always 
made  their  winter  quarters  around  Little  Traverse  Bay.  Arriv- 
ing at  Arbor  Croche,  where  our  big  wigwam  would  be  waiting 


46  THE  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

for  us — of  which  I  have  spoken  in  previous  chapters — the  very 
first  thing  my  parents  would  do  would  be  to  go  and  examine 
their  stores  of  corn  and  beans.  After  all  the  Indians  arrived  and 
had  settled  down,  they  would  again  have  a  prolonged  merriment 
and  another  feasting  of  the  dead  and  peace  offerings.  Grand 
medicine  dances,  fire  dances,  and  many  other  jubilant  perform- 
ances my  people  would  have  before  they  would  go  to  work 
again  to  plant  their  corn.  I  distinctly  remember  the  time,  and  I 
have  seen  my  brothers  and  myself  dancing  around  the  fires  in  our 
great  wigwam,  which  had  two  fireplaces  inside  of  it. 

About  in  1824,  there  was  an  Indian  came  from  Montreal  whose 
name  was  Andowish,  and  who  formerly  belonged  to  Arbor  Croche. 
H^  was  among  the  Stockbridge  Indians  somewhere  near  Mont- 
real, and  this  tribe  speak  a  dialect  of  the  Ottawa  and  Chippewa 
languages,  and  most  of  them  by  this  time  had  joined  the  Catholic 
church.  So  Andowish,  by  their  influence,  also  joined  the  Catholic 
religion  out  there  with  the  Stockbridge  Indians.  Coming  back 
to  Arbor  Croche,  where  he  formerly  belonged,  he  began  to  teach 
some  of  his  own  relatives  the  faith  of  the  Catholic  religion,  which 
some  of  them  were  very  ready  to  receive,  but  he  could  not  bap- 
tize them.  Therefore,  parties  of  Indians  went  to  Mackinac  Is- 
land, headed  by  the  principal  chief  of  the  Seven  Mile  Point  band 
of  Indians,  whose  name  was  A-paw-kau-se-gun,  to  see  some  of 
their  half-breed  relations  at  the  island,  relating  to  them  how  they 
felt  with  regard  to  Christianity,  and  asking  advice  as  to  what 
they  should  do  in  the  matter.  These  halt'-breec'  relatives  prom- 
ised they  would  do  all  they  could  to  cause  the  priest  to  come  up 
to  Arbor  Croche  and  baptize  all  those  Indians  who  felt  disposed 
to  receive  the  religion.  Therefore  in  1825  Rev.  Father  Baden, 
an  old  priest,  came  up  with  his  interpreters  and  landed  at  Seven 
Mile  Point,  and  baptized  quite  a  number  of  grown  folks,  and  a 
great  many  children  were  taken  into  the  Catholic  religion.  At 
this  time,  I  was  also  baptized  by  Rev.  Father  Baden ;  I  was  small, 
but  I  distinctly  remember  having  the  water  poured  over  my  head 


INDIANS  OF  MICHIGAN.  47 

and  putting  some  salt  in  my  mouth,  and  changing  my  name  from 
Pe-ness-\vi-qua-am  to  Amable.  The  mission  was  then  established 
at  Seven  Mile  Point,  where  a  church  was  built  with  poles  and 
covered  with  cedar  bark.  This  was  the  very  way  that  the  first 
religion  was  introduced  among  the  Ottawas,  although  everybody 
supposes  that  some  white  people  or  missionary  societies  brought 
the  Christian  religion  among  the  Ottawa  tribes  of  Indians  at  Ar- 
bor Croclie. 

My  uncle,  Au-se-go-nock,  had  before  this  joined  the  Catholic 
religion.  He  was  living  at  that  time  at  Drummond's  Island  with 
the  British  people,  where  all  the  Ottawas  and  Chippewas  used  to 
go  every  summer  to  receive  })resents  from  the  British  Government. 
And  when  he  learned  that  his  people  had  joined  the  Catholic 
faith,  he  left  his  home  at  Drummond's  Island  and  came  to  Arbor 
Croche  expressly  to  act  as  missionary  in  the  absence  of  the  priest. 
Every  Sunday  he  preached  to  his  people  and  taught  them  how  to 
pray  to  God  and  to  the  Virgin  Mary  and  all  the  saints  and  angels 
in  heaven.  At  that  time  printed  books  containing  prayers  and 
hymns  in  the  Stockbridge  Indian  language,  which  is  a  dialect  of 
the  Ottawa  and  Chippewa  languages,  were  brought  from  Mont- 
real, and  could  be  quite  intelligently  understood  by  the  Ottawas. 
By  this  time  many  Indians  began  to  be  stationary ;  they  did  not 
go  south,  as  heretofore,  but  remained  and  made  their  winter 
quarters  ar  Arbor  Croche. 

About  1827,  after  several  councils,  it  was  determined  to  remove 
the  Mission  from  Seven  Mile  Point  to  Little  Traverse,  and  a 
French  priest  whose  name  was  Dejan  arrived  expressly  to  remain 
there  and  carry  on  the  new  mission  established  at  Little  Tra- 
verse. A  log  church  was  built  at  the  new  mission,  which  stood 
very  near  where  the  present  church  is  now  standing,  and  a  log 
school  house  was  built  just  where  the  Star  Hotel  now  stands,  and 
also  a  log  house  for  the  priest  to  live  in,  which  is  standing  to  this 
day  nearest  the  church,  but  it  has  been  covered  with  siding  boards 
since.    In  the  fall  of  1827,  my  father  left  his  subjects  at  Arbor 


48  THE  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

Croche  proper,  now  Middle  Village,  in  charge  of  his  brother, 
Kaw-me-no-te-a,  which  means  Good-heart,  as  he  was  persuaded 
by  other  chiefs  to  come  and  establish  himself  where  the  mission 
was  and  send  his  children  to  school.  There  were  only  three  In- 
dian log  houses  at  that  time  in  Little  Traverse,  one  belonging  to 
my  uncle,  Au-se-ge-nock,  one  for  Joseph  Au-saw-gon,  my  father's 
messenger,  and  another  to  Peter  Sho-min.  But  we  and  all  other 
Indians  lived  in  wigwams,  and  all  the  Indians  were  dressed  in 
Indian  style.  Rev.  Mr.  Dejan  brought  with  him  one  Frenchman 
from  Detroit  named  Joseph  Letorenue  as  school  teacher,  and  two 
girls  from  Mackinac  Island  as  domestic  servants,  and  an  old  nun, 
whose  real  name  I  never  learned,  and  knew  only  as  '*  Sister." 
She  was  exceedingly  kind  to  Indian  children  and  we  all  liked 
her  very  much.  The  log  school  house  was  used  as  a  dwelling  as 
well  as  a  school  house,  as  all  the  boys  and  girls  who  attended 
school  were  kept  there  continually,  same  as  boarding  school.  The 
larger  boys  and  girls  were  taught  household  duties  and  to  cook 
for  the  scholars.  The  children  were  kept  quite  clean.  The  French 
teacher  took  very  great  pains  to  teach  them  good  manners,  and 
they  were  taught  no  other  but  the  French  language.  In  the  spring 
of  the  year  each  family  of  Indians  contributed  one  large  mocok* 
of  sugar  wiiich  weighed  from  eighty  to  one  hundred  pounds, 
which  Priest  Dejan  would  empty  into  barrels,  and  then  go  down 
to  Detroit  with  it  to  buy  dry  goods,  returning  with  cloth  with 
which  to  clothe  his  Indian  children.  Rev.  Mr.  Dejan  did  not  say 
mass  on  week  days,  only  on  Sundays.  He  visited  the  Indians  a 
good  deal  during  the  week  days,  purpose  ly  to  instruct  them  in 
tho  manners  and  customs  of  the  white  man,  ordering  things  gen- 
erally how  to  be  done,  and  how  the  women  should  do  towards 
their  domestic  callings,  not  to  work  out  of  doors,  and  to  take 
good  care  of  what  belonged  to  their  household.  Mr.  Dejan  was 
a  great  friend  of  Col.  Boyd,  Indian  Agent  at  Mackinac,  and  in  the 


♦  A  kind  of  box  made  of  birch  bark. 


INDIANS  OF   MICHIGAN.  49 

second  year  of  the  school,  Mr.  Boyd's  two  sons,  James  and  George, 
wintered  with  the  priest  at  the  mission,  and  were  very  great 
friends  to  the  Indians. 

In  two  years  schooling  tlie  children  progressed  very  much,  both 
in  reading  the  French  language,  and  inlparningthe  manners  and 
customs  of  the  white  man.  But,  alas,  this  was  carried  on  only 
two  years  There  was  some  trouble  between  Rev.  Mr.  Dejan  and 
Bishop  Reese  of  Detroit,  consequently  Mr.  Dejan  was  removed 
from  the  mission,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Baraga  was  put  in  instead  in  the 
year  1830.  He  promised  to  do  the  same  as  his  predecessor  in  re- 
gard to  carrying  on  the  Indian  school  at  Little  Traverse ;  but  he 
did  not.  He  did  not  give  as  good  care  to  the  children  as  his  pre, 
decessor,  and  he  did  not  teach  them  anything  but  Indian  and  the 
catechism.  He,  however,  made  and  published  a  prayer  book  in 
the  Ottawa  language  and  a  short  Bible  History.  Before  two  years 
the  boarding  school  was  out  of  existence  at  Little  T.iaverse,  and 
Mr.  Baraga  went  away  to  Lake  Superior,  where  some  time  after- 
wards he  was  made  Bishop.  After  he  was  in  the  Lake  Superior 
country  he  published  some  more  books,  such  as  Odjebwe  diction- 
ary and  Odjebwe  grammar,  which  were  very  hard  to  understand 
to  one  unacquainted  with  the  Indian  language,  and  he  also  made 
a  new  catechism.  Father  Simon  succeeded  Mr.  Baraga,  and  did 
about  the  same  thing  with  regard  to  educating  the  Indian  youths, 
as  did  also  Father  Pierce  after  Simon,  and  many  others  from  time 
to  time  up  to  this  day. 

The  Indians  were  very  strict  in  their  religion  at  this  time  They 
did  not  allow  any  drunkenness  in  their  village,  nor  allow  any  one 
to  bring  intoxicating  liquors  within  the  Harbor.  If  any  person, 
white  or  Indian,  brought  any  liquor  into  the  Harbor,  by  the  bar- 
rel or  in  small  quantities,  and  it  came  to  the  knowledge  of  the 
old  chief,  Au-paw-ko-si-gan,  who  was  the  war  chief,  but  was  act- 
ing as  principal  chief  at  Little  Traverse,  he  would  call  out  his 
men  to  go  and  search  for  the  liquor,  and  if  found  he  would  order 
him  men  to  spill  the  whisky  on  the  ground  by  knocking  the  head 


50  THE  OTTAWA  AKD  CinPI*fiWA         .     V 

of  a  barrel  with  an  ax,  telling  them  not  to  bring  any  more  whisky 
into  tlie  Harbor,  or  wherever  the  Ottawas  are,  along  the  coast  of 
Arbor  Croche.  This  was  the  end  of  it,  there  being  no  law  suit  for 
the  whisky. 

They  used  to  observe  many  holidays,  particularly  Christmas, 
New  Years  and  Corpus  Christi.  At  the  New  Year's  eve,  every 
one  of  the  Indians  used  to  go  around  visiting  the  principal  men 
of  the  tribe,  shooting  their  guns  close  to  their  doors  after  scream- 
ing three  times,  "  Happy  New  Year,"  then  bang,  bang,  altogether, 
blowing  their  tin  horns  and  beating  their  drums,  etc.  Early  on 
the  New  Year's  morning,  they  would  go  around  among  their 
neighbors  expressly  to  shake  hands  one  with  another,  with  the 
words  of  salutation,  "  Bozhoo,"  children  and  all.  This  practice 
was  kept  up  for  a  long  time,  or  until  the  white  people  came  and 
intermingled  with  the  tribes. 

I  thought  my  people  were  very  happy  in  those  days,  when  they 
were  all  by  themselves  and  possessed  a  wide  spread  of  land,  and 
no  one  to  quarrel  with  them  as  to  where  they  should  make  their 
gardens,  or  take  timber,  or  make  sugar.  And  fishes  of  all  kinds 
were  so  plentiful  in  the  Harbor.  A  hook  anywheres  in  the  bay, 
and  at  any  time  of  the  year,  would  catch  Mackinaw  trout,  many 
as  one  would  want.  And  if  a  net  were  set  anywheres  in  the  har- 
bor on  shallow  water,  in  the  morning  it  would  be  loaded  with 
fishes  of  all  kinds.  Truly  this  was  a  beautiful  location  for  the 
mission.  Every  big  council  of  the  Indians  was  transacted  in  the 
village  of  Little  Traverse. 

I  will  mention  one  or  two  more  things  which  it  might  be  inter- 
esting to  my  readers  to  know.  Up  to  1835  and  some  time  after- 
wards, there  was  a  very  large  double  cedar  tree,  which  appeared 
to  have  been  stuck  together  while  they  were  growing,  but  were 
two  separate  trees  of  the  same  size  and  height  growing  very  close 
together,  standing  very  near  the  edge  of  the  water,  and  leaning 
yery  much  towards  the  bay,  almost  like  a  staircase  projecting  far 
out  into  the  bay.    Under  the  roots  of  these  trees  issued  a  perpet- 


..JlMaA. '      ,^9SIl. 


/ 


INDIANS  OF  MICHIGAN.        K  51 

ual  spring  of  water,  which  is  now  called  Mr.  Carlow's  Spring, 
near  the  present  depot.  In  the  fall  of  1835,  I  was  clear  at  the  top 
of  those  trees,  with  my  little  chums,  watching  our  people  as  they 
were  about  going  ofi  in  a  long  bark  canoe,  and,  as  we  understood, 
they  were  going  to  Washington  to  see  the  Great  Father,  the  Pres- 
ident of  the  United  States,  to  tell  him  to  have  mercy  on  tlie  Otta- 
wa and  Chippewa  Indians  in  Michigan,  not  to  take  all  the  land 
away  from  them.  I  saw  some  of  our  old  Indian  women  weeping 
as  they  watched  our  principal  men  going  off  in  the  canoe.  I  sup- 
pose they  were  feeling  bad  on  account  of  not  knowing  their  fut- 
ure destinies  respecting  their  possession  of  the  land.  After  they 
all  got  in  the  canoe,  just  as  they  were  going  to  start,  they  all  took 
off  their  hats, crossed  themselves  and  repeated  the  Lord's  prayer; 
at  the  end  of  the  prayer,  they  crossed  themselves  again,  and  then 
away  they  went  towards  the  Harbor  Point,  We  watched  them 
until  they  disappeared  in  rounding  the  point. 

March  28th,  1836,  a  treaty  was  signed  at  Washington,  not  with 
the  free  will  of  the  Indians,  but  by  compulsion.  That  same  year 
we  received  the  first  annuity  at  Mackinac  Island,  our  trading 
post,  $10  cash  per  head,  beside  dry  goods  and  provisions.  There 
was  a  stipulation  expressed  in  the  7th  clause  of  the  4th  article  of 
said  treaty,  that  there  was  to  be  given  to  the  Ottawa  and  Chippe- 
wa Indians  of  Michigan  $150,000  worth  of  dry  goods  until  all 
was  paid  out.  There  is  said  to  have  been  paid  out  on  the  first 
payment  in  1836,  about  $10,000,  which  would  then  leave  a  balance 
of  $140,000.  At  this  time  the  Ottawas  and  Chippewas  held  a  big 
council  and  concluded  to  ask  the  Government  for  cash  instead  of 
dry  goods ;  because  they  saw  that  there  was  a  great  deal  of  waste 
in  distributing  the  goods  among  them,  as  there  were  lots  of  rem- 
nants, and  much  of  it  left  after  distribution  which  they  never 
knew  what  became  of.  Therefore  their  belief  respecting  it  was 
that  the  Government  officials  had  appropriated  to  themselves 
some  of  these  dry  goods  and  given  away  freely  to  their  white 
friends  and  relatives.    After  conclusion  of  the  council,  they  came 


52  THE  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

before  the  Indian  agent,  Hon.  H.  Schoolcraft,  and  presented  their 
views  and  their  request  in  this  matter.  He  told  them  that  he 
could  not  give  them  any  conclusive  reply  upon  this  subject,  but 
that  he  would  make  known  their  wishes  to  their  Great  Father  at 
Washington,  and  would  inform  them  thereafter.  That  was  the 
last  of  it.  In  the  next  payment  there  were  neither  goods  nor 
money  instead,  as  they  requested,  and  no  reply  ever  came  to  this 
day.  It  was  also  stipulated  that  at  the  expiration  of  twenty-one 
years,  $20,000  was  to  be  given  to  the  Ottawa  and  Chippewa  In- 
dians, that  is,  one  year  after  the  expiration  of  the  payment  of 
their  annuities.  And  where  are  those  lawful  promises  gone  to 
now  ?  Alas !  when  we  inquire  of  them  to  the  head  department 
they  refer  us  to  the  third  article  of  the  Treaty  of  1855,  where  it  is 
worded,  "  That  the  Ottawa  and  Chippewa  Indians  hereby  release 
and  discharge  the  United  States  from  all  liability  on  account  of 
former  treaty  stipulations,  either  land  or  money,"  etc.  But  this 
part  of  the  stipulation  was  never  explained  to  them  at  the  Council 
of  Detroit,  as  they  would  never  have  consented  to  it,  and  would 
not  have  signed  the  contract.  We  did  not  know  anything  about 
it,  but  some  time  after  we  saw  it  with  our  own  eyes,  printed  in 
the  pamphlet  form  of  the  contract,  where  our  names  had  been 
already  subscribed  to  it.  Then  it  was  too  late  to  make  any  rem- 
edy in  the  matter. 


•% 


INDIANS  OF  MICHIGAN.  53 


CHAPTER  VII. 

More  Personal  History — Suffering?  and  Trials  in  Early  Life — Missing 
the  Opportunity  to  Go  to  School — Learning  Trade  as  a  Blacksmith 
— A  New  Start  to  Seek  for  Education — Arriving  at  Cleveland,  O., 
to  Find  His  Old  Friend,  Rev.  Alvin  Coe— Visit  with  Rev.  Samuel 
Bissell,  of  Twinsburg,  O.,  Principal  of  the  Twinsburg  Institute — 
Attending  School — Returning  Home — Advocating  Citizenship  for 
His  People— Delegated  to  Detroit  and  to  the  State  Legislature — 
His  Pleasant  Visit  with  State  Authorities — Again  Delegated  as 
Councilor  to  the  New  Treaty,  1855. 

The  first  winter  we  lived  at  Little  Traverse  as  a  permanent 
home  was  in  the  year  1828,  and  in  the  following  spring  my  own 
dear  mother  died  very  suddenly,  as  slie  was  burned  while  they 
were  making  sugar  in  the  woods.  She  was  burned  so  badly  that 
she  only  lived  four  days  after.  I  was  small,  but  I  was  old  enough 
to  know  and  mourn  for  my  dear  mother.  I  felt  as  though  I  had 
lost  everything  dear  to  me  and  every  friend ;  there  was  no  one 
that  I  could  place  such  confidence  in,  not  even  my  own  father. 
So  my  father's  household  was  broken  up:  we  were  pretty  well 
scattered  after  that.  He  could  not  very  well  keep  us  together; 
being  the  least  one  in  the  family,  I  became  a  perfect  wild  rover. 
At  last  I  left  Little  Traverse  when  about  13  or  14  years  age.  I 
went  to  Green  Bay,  Wis.,  with  the  expectation  of  living  with  an 
older  sister  who  had  married  a  Scotchman  named  Gibson  and  had 
gone  there  to  make  a  home  somewhere  in  Green  Bay.  I  found 
them,  but  I  did  not  stay  with  them  long.  I  left  them  and  went 
to  live  with  a  farmer  close  by  whose  name  was  Sylvester.  From 
this  ])lace  I  was  persuaded  by  another  man  to  go  with  him  on  the 
fishing  groimd,  to  a  place  called  Sturgecm  Bay,  Wis.  From  there 
I  sailed  with  Mr.  Robert  Campbell.  Mr.  Campbell  was  a  good 
man  and  Christian.    His  father  had  a  nice  farm  at  Bay  Settle- 


54  THE  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

ment,  near  Green  Bay,  Wis.,  where  also  my  sister  settled  clown.  I 
sailed  with  him  one  summer.  We  came  to  Mackinac  Island  in 
the  fall  of  1840,  and  there  I  met  my  father  and  all  my  relations, 
and  great  man;y  Indians  as  they  were  about  receiving  their  annu- 
al payment  from  the  Government.  So  I  left  the  vessel  and 
hired  out  in  the  store  to  act  as  clerk  during  the  payment  time. 

After  all  tlie  Indians  had  gone  away  from  the  island,  I  was 
still  working  in  the  store  and  thought  to  make  my  winter  quart- 
ers there,  but  did  not.  One  day  I  met  my  father's  old  friend,  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Alvin  Coe,  the  traveling  missionary  of  whom  I  have  al- 
ready spoken  as  having  asked  me  to  go  with  him  to  the  State  of 
Ohio  where  I  might  have  an  opportunity  to  go  to  school  and  be 
educated  like  the  white  man.  I  told  him  I  will  go  with  him, 
provided  he  will  take  an  interest  to  watch  over  me,  that  no  one 
would  abuse  me  out  there  after  getting  into  the  strange  country. 
He  faithfully  promised  that  he  wonld  do  all  this,  and  would  also 
do  all  he  could  to  help  me  along  to  obtain  my  education.  He 
said  he  was  going  that  night  and  I  must  be  on  hand  when  the 
boat  arrived ;  but  I  failed  to  tell  him  my  stopping  place.  So 
when  the  boat  arrived  I  was  too  sound  asleep  to  hear  it.  Poor 
old  man !  I  was  told  that  he  felt  disappointed  to  have  to  go  with, 
out  me.  As  I  woke  in  the  morning  I  inquired  if  any  boat  had 
arrived  during  the  night.  I  was  told  there  was.  I  was  also 
told  there  was  an  old  man  who  seemed  to  be  very  anxious,  and 
was  looking  for  me  all  over  the  crowd  on  the  dock,  but  he  could 
not  find  me  there.  When  the  boat  was  pushing  out  he  jumped 
on  board  and  then  turned  to  the  crowd,  saying,  "Tell  my  little 
boy,  Jackson,  son  of  the  old  chief  Macka-de-be-nessy,  of  Arbor 
Croche,  that  I  have  gone  on  this  boat." 

Thus  I  was  left,  and  missed  the  opportunity  when  I  might  have 
been  educated  while  I  was  yet  much  younger.  A  few  days  after- 
wards, as  I  walked  out  from  the  store  one  evening,  I  met  two 
young  men  in  th'.  street,  one  of  whom  I  frequently  saw  during 
the  payment  tim3,  but  the  other  was  entirely  a  stranger  to  me. 


INDIANS  OF   MICHIGAN.  55 

He  was  a  most  noble-looking  and  tall  young  man,  but,  behold,  he 
spoke  perfectly  and  freely  the  Indian  language,  saying  to  me,  "My 
boy,  would  you  be  willing  to  take  us  to  that  vf  ssel  out  there?"  at 
the  same  time  pointing  to  a  vessel  which  was  already  outside  of 
the  harbor,  sails  up,  but  in  a  perfectly'  dead  calm,  as  there  was  not 
a  breath  of  wind.  I  told  them  I  would,  provided  I  could  get  the 
boat  to  get  there ;  in  which  he  replied  that  they  will  do  all  that 
part  of  the  business,  but  they  wanted  some  one  to  bring  the  boat 
back.  As  I  Mas  walking  with  another  mate  of  mine,  I  ask  him 
to  go  with  ii)e  to  take  these  folks  on  board.  The  next  thing  we 
w^re  on  the  way  towards  the  vessel.  As  we  went  along  this  noble 
young  man  s  lid  to  me,  "My  boy,  would  you  like  to  come  with  us 
to  Grand  Traverse  V"  I  replied,  "  I  would  like  to  see  Grand  Trav- 
erse, but  ani  not  prepared  to  go  just  now."  "  Would  j'ou  not  like 
to  learn  the  blacksmith  trade  ?  This  man  is  a  government  black- 
smith in  Grand  Traverse,"  referring  to  his  companion,  "and  he 
needs  an  assistant  in  the  business.  We  will  give  you  position  as 
an  assistant  and  a  salary  of  $240  yearly,  or  $20  per  month."  I 
replied,  "  I  will  go,  for  I  would  be  very  glad  to  find  a  chance  to 
learn  a  trade  and  at  the  same  time  to  get  my  living."  Tlierefore 
I  also  got  on  board,  and  my  friend  had  to  come  back  alone  with 
the  boat  we  borrowed.  This  was  tlu^  same  vessel  that  I  had 
sailed  on  that  season.  We  arrived  at  the  place  now  called  "The 
Old  Mission,"  where  there  was  a  nice  harbor.*  This  young  man, 
whose  name  I  now  learned  was  John  M.  Johnstone,  of  Sault  Ste. 
Marie,  the  brother-in-law  of  Henry  Schoolcraft,  our  Indian  agent, 
said  wlien  we  arrived,  "You  have  no  commission  yet  to  work  in 
the  shop;  you  will  therefore  have  to  go  back  to  Mackinac  with 

♦  The  Mission  was  already  esUiblished  by  this  time,  1S40,  conducted  by  the 
Presbyterian  Board  of  Missions.  Rev.  P.  Douj^herty,  who  was  indeed  a  true 
Christian,  and  ^nod  to  Indians,  was  a  preadier  for  tlie  Mission.  Daniel  Rod, 
the  half  breed  from  St.  Clair  River,  Mich.,  was  his  interpreter.  Mr.  Bradky 
acted  as  teacher,  who  afterwards  proved  himself  unworthy  for  the  position, 
which  produced  a  bad  effect  among  the  Indians.  The  Mission  is  now  out  of 
existence. 


66  THE  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

this  letter  which  you  will  take  to  Indian  agent  yourself  and  no- 
body else.  Then  come  back  at  the  first  opportunity  if  he  tells 
you  to  come." 

So  I  had  to  return  to  Mackinac  on  the  same  vessel  with 
which  we  went  away.  At  Mackinac  I  received  my  commission 
without  any  trouble.  On  arriving  at  Grand  Traverse  the  Indians 
were  having  a  big  council  which  was  concocted,  I  was  told,  by 
the  brother  of  my  benefactor,  who  was  trading  there  among  the 
Indians.  They  were  getting  up  remonstrances  and  petitioning* 
the  Government  against  my  appointment,  setting  forth  as  reason 
of  their  complaint  that  I  did  not  belong  to  that  tribe  of  Indians, 
and  was  therefore  not  entitled  to  the  position,  and  they  would 
rather  have  one  of  their  own  boys  belonging  to  the  tribe  put  to 
this  trade.  But  my  friend  Johnstone  told  me  "not  to  mind  any- 
thing, but  go  about  my  business.  Tlie  blacksmith  shop  had  been 
established  here  for  more  than  two  years,  and  they  should  have 
thought  of  putting  their  boy  in  the  shop  long  before  this."  So 
accordingly  I  continued  working  and  minding  my  own  business 
for  five  years,  when  I  quit  of  my  own  accord.  There  were  no 
white  people  there  at  that  time,  only  such  as  were  employed  by 
the  Government,  and  the  missionaries  and  teachers,  and  the  In- 
dians were  very  happy  in  those  days. 

I  have  told  my  readers  in  the  previous  chapters  of  this  little 
book,  that  from  the  time  I  was  invited  by  our  most  estimable 
friend,  Rev.  Alvin  Coe,  to  go  with  liim  to  the  State  of  Oliio  in 
order  to  receive  an  education,  "that  it  was  never  blotted  out  of 
my  mind,"  and  therefore  the  very  day  I  quit  the  blacksmith  shop 
at  Grand  Traverse,  I  turned  my  face  toward  the  State  of  Ohio,  for 
that  object  alone.  I  came  to  Little  Traverpe  to  bid  a  good-by  to 
my  father  and  relations  late  in  October,  1845.  I  did  not  even  stay 
half  a  day  at  Little  Traverse.  I  started  for  Arbor  Croche  the 
same  day  I  bid  the  last  farewell  to  my  folks,  in  order  to  ob- 
tain an  opportunity  there  to  get  to  Mackinac  Island,  from  which 
I  intended  to  take  my  passage  for  Cleveland.     Arriving  at  Arbor 


INDIANS  OF  MICHIGAN.  87 

Croche,  which  is  fourteen  miles  from  Little  Traverse,  I  met  an 
orphan  boy,  Paul  Naw-o-ga-de  by  name,  a  distant  relative,  and 
proposed  to  pay  his  passage  to  Cleveland.  The  brother  of  this 
little  boy  had  a  boat  of  his  own,  and  offered  to  take  us  to  Macki- 
nac Island,  and  I  was  vary  glad  of  the  opportunity.  So  the  next 
day  we  started  for  Mackinac,  not  knowing  what  would  become  of 
us  if  my  little  means  were  exhausted  and  we  should  be  unsuc- 
cessful in  finding  our  old  friend,  Mr.  Alvin  Coe. 

The  day  we  arrived  at  Mackinac  we  took  passage  for  Cleveland. 
Arriving  there  we  were  scared  at  seeing  so  many  people  coming 
to  us  who  wanted  us  to  get  into  their  cabs  to  take  us  to  some  hotel 
which  might  cost  us  two  or  three  dollars  a  day.  We  went  to 
Farmer's  Hotel.  In  the  evening  the  landlady  was  somewhat 
curious  to  know  where  we  hailed  from  and  where  we  were  going 
to.  I  told  her  we  came  from  Michigan,  but  we  did  not  know  yet 
where  we  should  go  to.  I  asked  her  if  she  ever  knew  or  heard 
of  a  minister  named  Alvin  Coe.  "What,"  —  she  seemed  to  be 
very  much  surprised — "  Mr.  Alvin  Coe  the  traveling  missionary  ?" 
I  said,  "Yes,  the  same."  "  Why,  that  is  my  own  uncle.  What  is 
it  about  him  ?"  "O,  nothing;  only  I  would  like  to  know  where 
he  lives,  and  how  far."  I  was  equally  surprised  to  think  that  we 
happened  to  meet  one  of  his  relatives,  and  thought  at  this  moment, 
God  must  be  with  us  in  our  undertaking.  "  You  know  my  uncle, 
then,"  she  said.  I  said,  "Yes;  he  is  my  particular  friend,  and  I 
am  going  to  look  for  him."  Of  course,  she  told  us  the  name  of 
the  town  in  which  he  lived,  and  how  far  and  which  road  to  take 
to  get  there.  It  also  happened  that  there  was  one  gentleman  at 
Farmer's  Hotel,  who  had  been  out  west  and  came  on  the  same 
boat  on  which  we  came,  and  he  was  going  the  next  day  in  that 
direction  on  foot,  and  .said  he  would  guide  us  as  far  as  he  would 
go,  which  would  be  about  twenty  miles,  and  there  was  thirty  miles 
to  go  after  that.  So  the  next  day  we  started.  Arriving  late  in 
the  afternoon  at  the  outskirts  of  the  little  village  called  Twins- 
burg,  our  white  companion  told  us  this  is  the  place  where  he  in- 


58  THE   OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

tended  to  stop  for  a  while,  and  said,  "  You  better  stop  with  me 
for  tlie  night,  and  after  supper  you  could  visit  the  institution  in 
the  village  and  see  the  principal  of  the  school  here;  you  mi^ht 
possibly  get  a  chance  to  attend  that  school,  as  you  say  that  was 
your  object  in  coming  to  this  part  of  the  country."  I  was  very 
much  surprised,  as  he  had  not  said  one  word  about  it  as  we  came 
along  on  the  road.  After  supper,  I  went  as  he  directed.  As  I 
approached  the  seminary  I  saw  a  good  many  boys  playing  on  the 
square  of  the  village,  and  I  went  and  stood  close  by.  Very  soon 
one  of  the  young  men  came  up  to  me,  saying,  "Are  you  going  to 
attend  our  school  here?"  I  told  him,  *' No,  sir;  I  am  going 
thirty  miles  further  to  attend  some  school  there."  'This  is  the 
best  school  that  I  know  of  anywhere  about  this  country,"  he  said. 
I  asked  him  if  he  would  introduce  me  to  the  proprietor  of  the 
school.  "Most  cheerfully,"  said  he;  "will  you  please  to  tell  me 
what  place  you  came  from,  and  your  name."  "I  came  from  Mich- 
igan, and  my  name  is  Blackbird."  "All  right,  I  will  go  with 
you."  So  we  came  to  the  professor's  room,  and  he  introduced 
me.  "Well,  Mr.  Blackbird,  do  you  wish  to  attend  our  school?" 
I  said,  "  I  do  not  know,  sir,  how  that  might  be,  as  1  have  not  much 
means  to  pay  my  way,  but  I  am  seeking  for  a  man  who  invited 
me  to  come  to  come  to  Ohio  some  live  years  ago,  and  promised 
that  he  would  help  me  all  he  could  for  my  education.  His  name 
is  Alvin  Coe,  a  traveling  missionary,  my  father's  old  friend." 
"We  have  two  Indian  boys  here  attending  school,  and  1  think 
you  will  not  be  very  lonesome  if  you  should  conclude  to  stay  with 
us."  "What  are  their  names?"  I  asked.  "One  is  Francis  Petos- 
key,  and  tlie  other  is  Paul  Ka-gwe-tosong."  I  said,  "I  know  them 
both;  I  came  from  the  same  place  they  did,  but  I  did  not  know 
they  were  here,  I  only  knew  they  were  attending  school  somewhere 
among  the  whites."  "  Can  you  do  any  kind  of  work  ?  "  "I  am  a 
blacksmith  by  trade,  sir,  and  besides  I  can  do  most  every  other 
kind  of  work."  He  said,  "  If  you  conclude  to  stay,  I  will  try  to 
aid  you  in  finding  a  place  where  you  could  work  to  pay  for  your 


INDTANS  OP   MICHIGAN.  68 

lodging  and  board ;  and  in  the  meantime  we  will  cause  Mr.  Alvin 
Coe  to  come  and  see  you,  and  if  he  sees  fit  to  take  you  away  he 
cau  do  so,  provided  you  would  be  willing  to  go  with  him."  I  told 
him  I  would  stay,  if  I  found  a  place  to  work  to  pay  for  my  board, 
and  provided  that  I  could  make  some  arrangement  for  the  little 
companion  who  came  with  me.  After  considering  a  few  moments, 
he  proposed  to  take  my  little  companion  to  his  boarding  house 
until  a  better  arrangment  could  be  made.  This  was  the  end  of 
my  conversation  with  this  noble  hearted  professor  and  projirietor 
of  this  Institution,  whose  name  was  Rev.  Samuel  Bissell,  of 
Twinsburg,  Ohio. 

In  the  morning,  after  breakfast,  I  went  back  to  the  village  and 
found  arrangments  were  already  made  for  both  of  us,  and  all  we 
had  to  do  was  just  to  shift  our  quarters.  I  came  to  live  with  a 
young  blacksmith  in  the  village  and  work  two  hours  in  the  morn- 
ing and  two  hours  in  the  evening,  and  many  times  I  finished  my 
hours  at  sunrise.  Some  time  during  the  winter,  my  friend  Mr. 
Alvin  Coe  came  and  took  me  off,  with  the  understanding,  however, 
that  if  I  did  not  like  the  school  where  he  was,  I  was  to  come  back 
to  Twinsburg.  So  in  about  two  weeks  I  came  back  to  the  old 
institution,  as  I  did  not  like  the  place.  At  last  Dr.  Brainsmade, 
of  Newark,  New  Jersey,  took  a  deep  interest  in  my  welfare  and 
education,  and  he  proposed  to  aid  me  and  take  me  through  the 
medical  college.  Therefore  I  quit  working  my  hours  in  the  shop 
and  boarded  at  the  institution,  attending  solely  to  my  studies  for 
over  four  years. 

I  have  already  told  my  readers  in  previous  chapters  how  bad  I 
felt  when  I  had  to  return  to  Michigan.  After  I  came  home  I  did 
everything  towards  the  welfare  and  happiness  of  my  people,  be- 
side attending  to  my  aged  father,  as  I  found  my  people  to  be  very 
different  then  from  what  they  were,  as  they  were  beginning  to 
have  a  free  use  of  intoxicating  liquors.  I  immediately  caused 
the  pledge  to  be  signed  in  every  village  of  the  Indians,  in  which 
I  was  quite  successful,  as  almost  everyone  pledged  themselves 


60  THE  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

never  again  to  touch  intoxicating  drinks.  I  also  advocated  the 
right  of  citizenship  forn\y  people  in  the  State  of  Michigan,  al- 
though we  were  repeatedly  told  by  our  white  neighbors  that  we 
could  not  very  well  be  adopted  as  citizens  of  the  State  as  long  as 
we  were  receiving  annuities  from  the  general  government  on  ac- 
count of  our  former  treaties.  My  object  of  promulgating  this 
cause  was,  1  thought  it  would  be  the  only  salvation  of  my  peo- 
ple from  being  sent  off  to  the  west  of  the  Mississippi,  where  per- 
haps, more  than  one-half  would  have  died  before  they  could  be 
acclimated  to  the  country  to  which  they  would  be  driven.  I  have 
suffered  very  great  hardships  for  this  cause,  as  I  had  to  walk  from 
Little  Traverse  through  the  dense  forest,  and  i„  t  the  entire 
length  of  the  southern  peninsula  of  Michigan,  in  o^uer  to  reach 
the  authorities  of  the  State  to  hold  conference  with  them  upon 
the  subject  of  the  citizenship  of  the  Ottawas  and  Chippewas,  and 
walked  on  snow-shoes  in  the  middle  of  winter  in  company  with 
one  of  our  young  chieftains  from  Cross  Village.*  We  were  sub- 
jected to  great  exposure  with  only  a  camp  fire  for  several  days  in 
the  month  of  February. 

After  crossing  Houghton  Lake,  which  is  the  head  waters  of  the 
Muskegon  river,  that  evening  we  swallowed  the  last  morsel  of 
food,  and  actually  we  traveled  and  camped  out  with  empty  stom- 
achs for  two  days  and  a  half  before  we  came  to  any  inhabited 
place.  At  last  we  struck  the  Te-ti-pe-wa-say  (Tittabawassee),  one 
of  the  principal  branches  of  Saginaw  river,  and  following  down 
that  stream  on  the  ice  we  came  to  an  Indian  camp  which  stood 
by  the  river  side,  and  also  saw  many  human  foot-prints  on  the  ice, 
but  the  camp  was  deserted  and  we  found  nothing  to  eat.  We  left 
the  place  and  once  more  followed  the  river,  and  after  walking 
about  half  a  mile  we  came  to  another  Indian  camp,  and  saw  blue 
smoke  coming  out  of  it.    As  we  came  up  to  the  camp  we  found 


*  Mr.  Wiirdsworth  also  accomp.anicd  us  from  Elk  Rapids,  on  his  way  to 
Detroit  to  obtain  a  commission  as  surveyor  on  some  part  of  the  Grand  Traverse 
region. 


INDIANS  OF  MICHIGAN.  W 

nothing  but  women  and  children  (all  the  men  were  out  hunting). 
They  gave  us  food,  and  we  went  on  our  journey  the  next  day. 

We  went  to  Detroit  to  see  Judge  Wing  to  obtain  his  legal  opin- 
ion on  the  subject  of  the  citizenship  of  the  Ottawa  and  Chippewa 
Indians  of  Michigan.  We  had  a  very  pleasant  visit  with  him, 
and  he  gave  us  as  his  legal  opinion  of  this  matter,  that  he  did  not 
think  that  it  would  debar  us  from  being  citizens  of  the  State,  be- 
cause the  Government  owed  us  a  little  money  on  account  of  our 
former  treaties,  provided  we  should  renounce  our  allegiance  to 
our  chiefs  and  recognize  no  other  chief  authority  than  the 
President  of  the  United  States;  and  that  we  would  not  be  re- 
quired to  have  any  writ  of  naturalization  as  we  are  already  natu- 
ralized by  being  American  born.  After  a  pleasant  visit  with 
Hon.  Judge  Wing,  we  next  turned  our  faces  to  the  State  Legisla- 
ture and  Governor.  In  this  also  we  thought  we  were  very  success- 
ful, for  the  Governor  received  us  very  kindly  and  gave  us  much 
good  counsel  on  the  subject  of  citizenship,  giving  us  some  in- 
structions as  to  how  we  should  live  under  the  rule  of  the  State 
if  we  should  become  the  children  of  the  same.  He  talked  to  us 
as  though  he  was  talking  to  his  own  son  who  had  just  come  from 
a  far  country  and  asked  his  father's  permission  to  stay  in  the 
household. 

After  a  pleasant  visit  with  the  Governor,  and  seeing  some  of 
the  members  of  the  State  L^  ;isiature,  receiving  full  assurance 
that  our  undertaking  and  object  would  be  well  looked  after,  we 
retraced  our  steps  back  to  Little  Traverse,  to  report  the  result  of 
our  visit.  After  that,  not  many  Indians  believed  these  flying 
reports  gotten  up  by  our  white  neighbors.  In  that  year,  the 
clause  was  put  in  the  revised  statutes  of  the  State  of  Michigan, 
that  every  male  person  of  Indian  descent  in  Michigan  not  mem- 
bers of  any  tribe  shall  be  entitled  to  vote. 

In  the  year  1855,  I  was  again  delegated  to  attend  the  council  of 
Detroit  for  the  treaty  of  1855,  and  in  that  coun  I  made  several 
speeches  before  the  Hon.  Commissioner  of  x^xv^ian  Affairs,  Mr. 


62  THE  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

Manypeuny,  of  "Washington,  on  the  subject  of  our  educational 
fund,  $8000  per  annum,  which  had  been  expended  for  the  educa 
tion  of  the  Indian  youths  for  the  last  nineteen  years,  and  which 
was  to  be  continued  ten  years  longer.  This  sum  had  never  been 
used  directly  for  any  scholars,  but  it  was  stated  that  it  was  given 
to  the  religious  societies  which  had  missions  among  the  Michigan 
Indians.  In  that  council  I  advocated  that  the  said  fund  be  retain- 
ed in  the  hands  of  the  general  Government  for  the  benefit  of  those 
Indian  youths  who  really  intended  to  be  educated  and  who  went 
among  tlie  whites  or  in  civilized  communities  to  be  educated, 
and  if  it  need  be,  to  be  used  for  the  collegiate  education  of  those 
Indian  youths,  but  let  the  children  at  home  be  educated  at  home 
by  taxation,  and  giving  fully  my  reasons  in  advancing  such  prop- 
osition. The  Hon.  Commissioner  was  much  talien  up  with  my 
remarks  on  this  subject,  1  being  the  youngest  member,  and  told 
the  older  members  of  the  council  that  he  would  like  to  hear  some 
of  them  on  this  subject.  "  The  young  man  who  has  been  making 
remarks  on  this  matter  has  a  very  good  idea  w  ith  regard  to  your 
educational  funds ;  now  let  us  hear  farther  remarks  on  this  sub- 
ject by  some  other  members  of  the  council."  But  not  one  Indian 
stirred.  And  again  and  again  the  next  day,  I  tried  to  urge  this 
matter  to  the  Hon.  Commissioner  and  the  Indians  to  cooperate 
with  me,  but  they  would  not,  because  my  people  were  so  ignorant 
they  did  not  know  the  value  of  education,  or  else  they  misunder- 
stood the  whole  subject.  Oji  the  third  day,  as  I  was  about  getting 
up  to  make  further  remarks  upon  this  subject,  one  of  the  old 
members,  Avho  was  the  most  unworthy  of  all  the  company,  as 
he  got  very  drunk  the  day  we  arrived  in  Detroit  and  was  locked 
up  in  jail  as  disorderly  two  or  three  days,  arose  and  said  to  the 
Commissioner  that  I  was  not  authorized  by  any  of  the  council  to 
get  up  here  and  make  such  remarks.  "  We  did  not  come  here 
to  talk  about  education,  but  came  expressly  to  form  a  treaty." 
Then  burst  into  a  great  laughter  all  the  spectators  of  the  council 
and  some  of  the  members  too.    I  was  told  afterwards  that  it  was 


INDIANS  OP  MICHIGAN.  63 

a  put  Up  job  to  prevent  any  change  by  the  persons  who  had  been 
handling  for  years  this  Indian  educational  fund,  as  there  were  a 
namber  of  them  in  the  council  hall.  Thus  was  lost  one  of  the 
most  noble  objects  which  ought  to  have  been  first  looked  after," 

After  the  council  dispersed  and  came  home,  I  sat  down  and 
and  wrote  a  long  article,  giving  the  full  history  of  the  past  in  re- 
gard to  this  matter;  how  our  educational  fund,  $8000  per  an-  ' 
num,  had  been  handled  and  conducted  for  nearly  twenty  years, 
and  yet  not  one  Indian  youth  could  spell  the  simplest  word  in  the 
English  language,  and  these  writings  I  had  published  in  the  De- 
troit Tribune  for  public  inspection. 


0$  THE  OTTAWA   AND  CHIPPEWA 


chapte:r  VIII. 

Becoming  Protestant — Persecutions — Second  Attempt  to  go  to  School 
— Trials  With  Indian  Agent — Governor  Lewis  Cass — Struggles 
During  Education — Getting  Married — Coming  Home — Govern- 
ment Interpreter  and  Postmaster. 

"^  The  next  five  years  were  passed  among  my  people,  doing  a  little 
of  everything,  lahoring,  teaching,  and  interpreting  sermons  among 
the  Protestant  missions — for  there  were  by  this  time  two  Protest- 
ant missions  established  among  the  Ottawas  of  Arbor  Croche,  one 
at  Bear  River,  now  Petoskey,  and  another  at  Middle  Village  or 
Arbor  Croche  proper,  where  I  acted  as  an  assistant  teacher  and 
interpreter.  I  met  much  opposition  from  the  Catholic  commun- 
ity, because  I  had  already  become  a  Protestant  and  left  the  Rom- 
ish church,  not  by  any  personal  persuasion,  however,  but  by  ter- 
rible conviction  on  reading  the  word  of  God — "That  there  is  no 
mediator  between  God  and  man  but  one,  which  is  Christ  Jesus, 
who  was  crucified  for  the  remission  of  sins."  One  Sunday,  some 
friend  persuaded  me  to  come  to  the  church,  but  when  the  priest 
saw  me  he  came  and  forcibly  ejected  me  out  of  the  room.  The 
same  priest  left  the  Indian  country  soon  afterwards,  and  it  seems 
he  went  to  England,  and  just  before  he  died  he  wrote  to  my  sister 
a  very  touching  epistle,  in  which  he  said  nothing  about  himself 
or  any  one  in  Little  Traverse,  but  from  the  beginning  to  the  end 
of  the  letter  he  expressed  himself  full  of  sorrow  for  what  he 
had  done  to  me  when  in  this  country  among  the  Indians,  and  ask- 
ing of  me  forgivness  for  his  wrongs  towards  me. 

Soon  after  the  council  of  Detroit,  I  became  very  discontented, 
for  I  felt  that  I  ought  to  have  gone  through  with  my  medical 
studies,  or  go  to  some  college  and  receive  a  degree  and  then  go 
and  study  some  profession.  But  where  is  the  means  to  take  me 
through  for  completing  my  education  ?  was  the  question  every 


INDIANS  OP  MICHIGAN.  66 

day.  So,  after  oiie  payment  of  the  treaty  of  1855,  late  in  the  fall 
of  1856,  I  went  up  to  Mr.  Gilbert,  who  was  then  Indian  agent,  and 
made  known  to  him  my  intention,  and  asked  him  if  he  would 
aid  me  towards  completing  my  education,  by  arranging  for 
me  to  receive  the  benefit  of  our  educational  fund,  which  was  set 
apart  at  the  last  council  for  the  education  of  the  Indians  in  this 
State.  But  he  would  not.  He  bluffed  me  off  by  saying  he  was 
sorry  I  had  voted  the  "black  republican  ticket,"  at  the  general 
election,  which  took  place  that  fall  of  1856.  This  was  the  first 
time  that  the  Indians  ever  voted  on  general  election.  Mr.  Gilbert 
was  at  North  Port,  Grand  Traverse,  on  election  day,  managing  the 
Indian  votes  there,  and  he  sent  a  young  man  to  Little  Traverse  to 
manage  the  voting  there  and  sit  as  one  of  the  Board  at  the  Little 
Traverse  election.  He  sent  the  message  to  Indians  to  vote  no 
other  ticket  but  the  democratic  ticket.  At  this  election  there  were 
only  two  republican  votes  in  Little  Traverse,  one  of  which  was 
cast  by  myself.  As  I  was  depositing  my  ballot,  this  young  man 
was  so  furiously  enraged  at  me  he  fairly  gnashed  his  teeth,  at 
which  I  was  very  much  surprised,  and  from  my  companion  they 
tried  to  take  away  the  ticket.  Then  they  tried  to  make  him  ex- 
change his  ticket,  but  he  refused.  We  went  out  quickly,  as  we 
did  not  wish  to  stay  in  this  excitement.  At  that  time  I  felt  al- 
most sorry  for  my  people,  the  Indians,  for  ever  being  citizens  of 
the  State,  as  I  thought  they  were  much  happier  without  these 
elections. 

After  payment  of  our  annuities,  as  the  vessel  was  about  starting 
off  to  take  the  Indian  agent  to  Mackinac,  they  had  already  hoisted 
the  sails,  although  there  was  not  much  wind,  and  I  thought,  this 
was  the  last  chance  to  get  to  Macldnac.  As  I  looked  toward  the 
vessel  I  wept,  for  I  felt  terribly  downcast.  As  they  were  going 
very  slowly  toward  the  harbor  point,  I  asked  one  of  the  Indian 
youngsters  to  take  me  and  my  trunk  in  a  canoe  to  the  vessel  out 
there.    I  had  now  determined  to  go,  in  defiance  of  every  opposi- 


66  THE   OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

tion,  to  seek  my  education*  I  hurried  to  our  house  with  the  boy, 
to  get  my  trunk  and  bid  good  bye  to  my  aged  fatlier,  and  told  him 
I  was  going  again  to  sonte  scliool  outside,  and  if  God  permitted  I 
hoped  to  return  again  to  Little  Traverse.  All  my  father  said  was, 
"Well,  my  son,  if  you  think  it  is  best,  go."  And  away  we  went. 
We  overtook  the  vessel  somewhere  opposite  Little  JPortage,  and 
as  I  came  aboard  the  agent's  face  turned  red.  He  said,  "Are  you 
going  V  "  I  said, "  Yes  sir,  I  am  going."  So  nothing  more  was  said. 
The  greater  part  of  the  night  was  spent  by  the  agent  and  the  captain 
gambling  with  cards,  by  vvhicii  the  agent  lost  considerable  mone3\ 
We  arrived  the  next  day  at  Mackinac,  and  again  I  approached 
the  Indian  agent  with  request  if  he  could  possibly  arrange  for  me 
to  have  the  benetit  of  our  Indian  educational  fund,  set  apart  for 
that  purpose  at  the  council  of  Detroit,  1855 ;  and  again  he  brought 
up  the  subject  of  my  voting.  Then  I  was  beginning  to  feel  out 
of  humor,  and  I  spoke  rather  abruptly  to  him,  saying,  "  AVell,  sir, 
I  now  see  clearly  that  you  don't  care  about  doing  anything  for 
my  welfare  because  I  voted  for  the  republican  party.  But  poli- 
tics have  nothing  to  do  witii  my  education;  for  the  Government 
of  the  United  States  owes  us  that  amount  of  money,  not  politics. 
I  was  one  of  the  count;ilors  when  that  treaty  was  made,  and  I  will 
see  some  other  men  about  this  matter,  sir."  His  face  turned  all 
purple,  and  as  I  was  turning  about  to  keep  away  from  him,  he 
called  me  back,  saying,  "  Mr.  Blackbird,  how  far  do  you  intend 
to  go  to  get  your  education?"  I  said,  "I  intend  to  go  to  Ann 
Arbor  University,  sir."  "Well,  I  will  do  this  much  for  you:  I 
will  pay  your  fare  to  Detroit.  I  am  going  by  way  of  Chicago, 
but  you  can  go  down  by  the  next  boat,  which  will  be  here  soon 
from  Chicago."  I  thanked  him,  and  he  handed  me  money  enough 
to  pay  my  fare  to  Detroit. 
So  I  reached  Detroit,  and  went  to  Dr.  Stuben's  house  and  in- 

*Iiulians  are  now  forbidden  to  Iciive  their  reservations  without  permission 
from  the  agent,  so  no  iiinbitious  and  determined  youth  can  now  escape  from  the 
Indiiiii  Bureau  machine. — [Ed. 


INDIANS  OF   MICHIGAN.  67 

quired  my  way  to  Governor  Cass'  residence ;  and  wlien  I  linocked 
at  the  door,  beliold  it  was  he  himself  came  to  the  door.  I  sliook 
hands  with  him  and  said,  ''My  friend,  I  would  like  to  speak  to 
you  a  few" moments."  "  Is  it  lor  business?"  he  asked.  "  Yes  sir, 
it  is."  '  Well,  my  boy,  I  will  listen  to  what  you  have  to  say."  I 
therefore  began,  saying,  "  Well,  my  friend,  I  come  from  Arbor 
Croche.  I  am  the  nepliew  of  your  old  friend,  "Warrior  Wing," 
am  seeking  for  education,  but  I  have  no  means;  and  I  come  to 
see  you  expressly  to  acquaint  you  with  my  object,  and  to  ask  you 
the  favor  of  interceding  for  me  to  the  Government  to  see  if  they 
could  possibly  do  something  towards  defraying  my  expenses  in 
this  ol)ject.  That  is  all  I  have  to  say."  The  old  man  raised  his 
si)ect!icles  and  said,  "  Why,  why!  your  object  is  a  very  good  one. 
I  was  well  acquainted  with  your  uncle  in  the  frontier  of  Michi- 
gan during  the  war  of  1812.  Have  you  seen  and  told  the  Indian 
agent  of  this  matter  ? "  "  Yes  sir,  I  have  asked  him  twice,  but  he 
would  not  do  anything  for  me."  "  Why,  why !  it  seems  to  me 
there  is  ample  provision  for  your  people  for  that  object,  and  has 
been  for  the  last  twenty  years.  What  is  the  matter  with  him?" 
I  said,  *'  I  don't  know,  sir."  "  Well,  well ;  I  am  going  to  Wash- 
ington in  a  few  days,  and  shall  see  the  Indian  Commissioner 
about  this  matter,  and  will  write  to  you  from  there  on  the  sub- 
ject. I  know  they  can  do  something  toward  defraying  your  ex- 
penses. Where  do  you  intend  to  go?"  I  said,  'I  don't  know, 
yet,  sir,  but  I  thought  of  going  to  the  Univesity  at  Ann  Arbor." 
"  Is  it  possible?  are  you  prepared  to  enter  such  a  coll€\ge?"  I 
told  him  I  thought  I  was.  "Well,  sir,  I  think  you  had  better  go 
to  Y|)silanti  State  Normal  School  instead  of  Ann  Arb  ..r:  it  is  one 
of  the  best  colleges  in  the  State."  This  was  the  first  time  I  ever 
heaid  of  that  school,  and  it  sounded  quite  big  to  me;  so  I  told 
him  that  I  would  gladly  attend  that  school,  provided  1  had  means 
to  do  so.  "  Well,  then,  it  is  settled.  You  shall  go  to  Yjjsilanti, 
and  I  will  direct  my  letter  to  Ypsilanti  when  1  write  to  you;  and 
now  mind  nobody,  but  j  ust  go  alK)Ut  your  business."     After  thank- 


68  TilS  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

ing  him  for  his  good  counsel  I  shook  hands  with  the  old  man 
and  left. 

Tlie  next  day  was  a  terrible  snow  storm,  but,  however,  I  started 
out  for  Ypsilanti,  which  is  only  about  thirty  miles  from  Detroit. 
Of  course,  as  I  was  totally  a  stranger  in  the  place,  1  put  up  at  a 
hotel,  although  my  means  were  getting  very  short.  The  next 
day  I  went  about  to  find  out  all  about  the  institution,  cost  of  tui- 
tion, and  private  board,  etc.,  and  saw  some  of  the  professors  of 
the  institution,  but  I  did  not  dare  to  make  any  arrangements  for 
a  steady  boarding  place  and  begin  school  for  fear  Governor  Cass 
should  fail  of  getting  help  from  the  Goverment.  Therefore,  in- 
stead of  beginning  to  go  to  school,  I  went  and  hired  out  on  a 
farm  about  three  miles  from  the  city,  and  continued  to  work 
there  for  about  three  weeks  before  I  heard  from  Governor  Cass. 
At  last  the  old  farmer  brought  a  package  of  letters  from  the  post- 
offlce,  one  of  which  was  post  marked  at  Washington,  D.  C,  and 
another  from  Detroit.  I  fairly  trembled  as  I  opened  the  one 
which  1  thought  was  from  Governor  Cass,  as  between  doubt  and 
hope,  but  my  fears  were  suddenly  changed  into  gladness,  and 
quickly  as  possible  I  settled  with  the  farmer,  and  away  I  went 
towards  the  city,  singing  as  I  went  along.  By  intercession  of 
Governor  Cass,  it  was  proposed  to  pay  my  whole  expenses — 
board,  clothes,  books,  tuition,  etc.  The  other  letter  was  from  the 
Indian  Agent,  calling  me  to  come  down  to  Detroit,  as  he  had  al- 
ready received  some  instructions  from  the  Commissioner  of  In- 
dian Affairs  to  look  after  me  and  to  arrange  the  matters  of  my 
schooling  at  Ypsilanti  State  Normal  School.  O,  how  I  did  hate 
to  have  to  meet  the  Indian  Agent  again  on  this  subject;  to  stand 
before  him,  and  to  have  him  think  that  I  had  overcome  l.im, 
and  succeeded  in  spite  of  his  opposition  to  my  desire.  O,  how 
I  wished  this  matter  could  have  been  arranged  without  his  assist- 
ance. However,  I  started  out  for  Detroit  the  same  evening  I  re- 
ceived these  communications,  and  went  to  the  agent.  He  never 
even  said,  "How  do  you  do?"  but  immediately  began,  saying, 


INDIANS  OF  MICHIGAN.  69 

"  Well,  sir,  how  much  do  you  think  that  it  will  cost  for  your 
scho'^ling  at  Ypsilanti?"  "I  don't  know,  sir,"  I  responded. 
"Well,  who  knows?  I  think  you  ought  to  know,  as  you  have 
been  there,"  he  said,  in  a  gruff  voice.  "  I  have  not  been  to  school 
at  all,  sir,"  I  said,  "but  have  been  working  on  a  farm  up  to  this 
morning."  "  Working  on  a  farm,  eh  V  I  thought  you  came  here 
on  purpose  to  attend  school?"  "I  did,  sir;  but  j'ou  know  I  waa 
very  sliort  of  means,  so  I  had  to  do  something  to  keep  me  alive." 
" Can't  you  tell  me  the  cost  for  your  board  per  week?"  "The 
private  board  is  from  $3.50  to  $4  per  week,  sir,  as  according  to 
accommodation."  "How  much  for  books  and  clothing?"  "I 
don't  know,  sir ;  but  I  think  I  have  euough  clothing  for  at  least 
one  year." 

In  the  morning  I  went  back  to  Ypsilanti,  and  with  the  aid  of 
the  professors  of  the  institution  1  got  a  good  boarding  place.  1 
attended  this  institution  almost  two  years  and  a  half,  wher  I 
could  not  hold  out  any  longer,  as  my  allowance  for  support  from 
the  Government  was  so  scanty  it  did  not  pay  for  all  my  necessary 
expenses.  I  have  always  attributed  this  small  allowance  to  the 
Indian  Agent  who  was  so  much  against  me.  I  tried  to  board  my- 
self and  to  live  on  bread  and  water;  and  therefore  hired  a  room 
which  cost  me  75  cents  a  week,  and  bought  bread  from  the  bak  r- 
ies,  which  cost  me  about  50  cents  a  week,  and  once  in  a  while  I 
had  fire-wood  as  I  did  not  keep  much  fire.  I  stood  it  pretty  well 
for  three  months,  but  I  could  not  stand  it  any  longer.  I  was  very 
much  reduced  in  flesli,  and  on  the  least  exertion  I  would  be 
trembling,  and  I  began  to  bo  discouraged  in  tlie  prosecution  of 
my  studies.  By  this  time  I  was  in  the  D  class,  but  class  F  was 
the  graduating  class  in  that  institution,  which  I  was  exceedingly 
anxious  to  attain;  but  I  imagined  that  I  was  beginning  to  be  sick 
on  account  of  so  much  privation,  or  that  I  would  starve  to  death 
before  I  could  be  graduated,  and  therefore  I  was  forced  to  aban- 
don my  studies  and  leave  the  institution. 

As  1  did  not  have  any  money  to  pay  my  passage  homeward,  I 


70  THE   OTTAWA   AND  CHIPPEWA 

we;it  about  working  and  occasionally  lecturing  on  the  subject  of 
tlie  Indians  of  Michigan,  and  at  last  I  had  enough  means  to  re- 
turn home  and  try  to  live  once  more  accordiitg  to  the  means  and 
strength  of  my  education.  Sei>tember  4tli,  1858,  I  was  joined  in 
wedlock  to  the  young  lady  who  is  still  my  beloved  wife,  and  now 
we  have  four  active  children  for  whom  1  ever  feel  much  anxiety 
that  tliey  might  be  educated  and  brought  up  in  a  Ciiristian  man- 
ner. Soon  after  1  came  to  my  country  my  father  died  at  a  great 
age.  The  first  j^ear  we  lived  in  Little  Traverse  we  struggled 
quite  hard  to  get  along,  but  in  another  year  I  was  aiii)ointed  U.  S. 
Interpreter  by  the  Hon.  D.  C.  Leacli,  U.  S.  Indian  Agent  for 
Mackinac  Indian  Agency,  to  Avliom  I  ever  feel  largely  indebted, 
and  I  continued  to  hold  this  situation  under  several  of  his 
successors  in  office. 

,  During  the  Rebellion  I  was  lo^^il  to  the  Government,  and  op- 
posed the  bad  white  men  who  were  then  living  in  the  Indian 
country,  who  tried  to  mislead  my  people  as  to  the  (luestion  of  the 
war,  to  cause  them  to  be  disloyal.  After  the  war  was  over,  I  was 
appointed  as  an  auxiliary  prosecutor  of  the  Indian  soldier  claims, 
as  quite  u  number  of  our  people  also  helped  to  put  down  this  re- 
bellion, and  many  were  killed  and  wounded.  But  most  of  this 
kind  of  business  I  performed  without  reward. 
,  Before  I  was  fairly  out  as  Interpreter,  I  was  appointed  with  a 
very  small  salary  as  postmaster  at  Little  Traverse,  n'»w  Harbor 
Spring"!,  wjjere  I  discharged  my  duties  faithfully  and  honestly 
for  eleven  years.  But  the  ingress  of  the  white  population  in  this 
Indian  country  increased  much  from  1872-78  and  onward.  The 
office  was  ])eginning  to  be  a  paying  one,  and  1  was  beginning  to 
tliink  tliat  I  was  getting  over  the  bridge,  when  others  wanted  the 
office,  my  oppo!ients  being  the  most  prominent  persons.  Peti- 
tions were  forwarded  to  Washington  to  have  me  removed,  al- 
though no  one  ever  had  any  occasion  to  complain  of  having  lost 
his  money  or  letter  through  this  office  during  my  adir  inistration. 
At  last,  the  third  assistant  postmaster  general  at  Washington 


INDIANS  OF   MICHIGAN.  71 

wrote  me  a  kind  of  private  letter,  stating  that  the  main  ground 
of  the  oomphunt  was,  that  my  office  was  too  small  and  inconven- 
ient for  the  public,  and  advising  me  to  try  and  please  the  public 
as  well  as  I  could.  And  consequently  I  took  what  little  money 
I  had  saved  and  built  a  comfortable  office,  but  before  the 
building  was  tlioroughly  completed  I  was  removed.  This  left  me 
penniless  in  this  cold  world,  to  battle  on  and  to  struggle  for  my 
existence ;  and  from  that  time  lience  I  have  not  held  any  office, 
nor  do  I  care  to.  I  only  wish  I  could  do  a  ittle  more  for  the 
welfare  of  my  fellow-beings  before  I  depart  for  another  world, 
as  I  am  now  nearly  seventy  years  old,  and  will  soon  pass  away. 
I  wish  my  readers  to  remember  that  the  above  history  of  my  ex- 
istence is  only  a  short  outline.  If  time  and  means  permitted, 
many  more  interesting  things  might  be  related. 


72  THE  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Some  of  the  Legends  of  the  Ottawa  and  Chippewa  Indians  Respect- 
ing: tlie  Great  Flood  of  the  World — A  Person  Swallowed  Up  Alive 
Like  a  Prophet  Jonah. 

Before  proceeding  with  the  history  of  the  Ottawas  and  Chip- 
pewas  some  of  their  most  important  and  peculiar  legends  will 
be  given.  They  have  a  tradition  of  a  great  flood,  as  is  recorded 
it  the  Bible  History,  and  many  other  tribes  of  Indians  who  speak 
dialect  of  the  Ottawa  and  Chippewa  languages  have  the  same 
story.  The  legends  say  it  was  caused,  not  by  a  rain,  but  by  the 
great  Ne-naw-bo-zhoo,  who  was  the  most  remarkable,  wonderful, 
and  supernatural  being  that  ever  trod  upon  the  earth.  He  could 
transfigure  himself  into  the  shape  of  all  animals  and  live  with 
them  for  a  great  length  of  time.  He  has  done  much  mischief  and  , 
also  many  benefits  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  whom  he 
called  *'his  nephews;"  and  he  shaped  almost  everything,  teach- 
ing  liis  nephews  what  materials  they  should  take  for  their  future 
utensils.  This  mischievous  Ne-naw-bo-zhoo  spoiled  the  sugar 
trees  by  diluting  their  sap  with  water.  The  legends  say,  that 
once  upon  a  time  the  sugar  trees  did  produce  sap  at  certain  sea- 
son of  the  year  which  was  almost  like  a  pure  syrup;  but  when 
this  mischievous  Ne-naw-bo  zhoo  had  tasted  it,  he  said  to  him- 
self, "Ah,  that  is  too  cheap.  It  will  not  do.  My  nephews  will  ob- 
tain this  sugar  too  easily  in  the  future  time  and  the  susjar  will 
be  worthless."  And  therefore  he  diluted  the  sap  until  he  could 
not  taste  any  sweetness  therein.  Tiien  he  said,  "Now  my  nephews 
will  have  to  labor  hard  to  make  the  sugar  out  of  this  sap,  and  the 
sugar  will  be  much  more  valuable  to  them  in  the  future  time." 
In  former  times  the  heart  of  every  tree  contained  fat  from  which 
all  inhabitants  of  the  earth  obtained  delicious  oil  to  eat;  but  this 
mischievous   Ne-naw-bo-zhoo,   in  his  supernatural  way,  pushed 


INDIANS  OF  MICHIGAN.  78 

his  staff  into  the  heart  of  every  tree ;  and  this  is  the  reason  why 
the  heart  of  every  tree  has  a  different  color. 

Tliere  was  no  great  ark  in  whicli  to  float  during  tlie  great  flood, 
but  when  Ne  naw-bo-zlioo  could  not  find  any  more  dry  land  to 
run  to  when  he  was  pursued  witli  mountains  of  water,  he  said, 
"  let  there  be  a  great  canoe."  80  there  was  a  great  canoe  which 
he  entered  with  his  animals  and  floated. 

As  to  the  origin  of  Ne-naw-bo-zhee,  the  legend  says,  that  once 
upon  a  time  there  lived  a  maiden  with  her  grandmother,  who 
was  a  very  dutiful  and  obedient  child,  observing  every  precept 
which  was  taught  her  by  her  grandmother,  and  she  spent  much 
time  fasting;  during  which  time  she  had  wonderful  dreams 
which  she  related  to  her  grandmother  every  morning  during  her 
•fast  days.  She  very  often  had  a  vision  of  holding  conversation 
with  some  deities  and  finally  she  was  assured  in  a  vision,  that 
her  children  would  be  terrible  and  would  redeem  all  the  inhabit- 
ants of  the  earth  from  their  various  calamities;  and  accordingly, 
she  bore  two  sons.  The  first  born  was  like  any  other  human 
child,  but  the  last  one  was  a  monster  which  caused  the  death  of 
its  mother,  and,  although  shaped  like  a  human  being,  as  soon  as 
born  ran  off  in  the  wilderness  and  was  never  again  seen  by  any 
person;  but  the  first  child  was  nourished  and  reared  by  the 
grandmother.  When  this  child  grew  to  be  playful  and  talkative 
by  the  side  of  its  grandmother,  he  was  so  strange  that  very  often 
she  would  say  to  him,  "Your  actions  are  like  a  Ne-naw-bo-zhoo." 
Then  the  child  would  reply,  "I  am  the  great  Ne-naw-bo-zhoo  on 
this  earth. "  The  meaning  of  this  word  in  the  Algonquin  lan- 
guage is  "  a  clown  "  and  therefore  he  meant  that  he  was  the  great 
"clown"  of  the  world. 

When  Ne-naw-bo-zhoo  became  a  man  he  was  a  great  prophet 
for  his  nephews  and  an  expert  hunter.  His  hunting  dog  was  a 
great  black  wolf.  When  he  learned  from  his  grandmother,  that 
his  mother  was  dead  and  that  his  brother  was  a  monster  with  a 
body  like  flint  stone  which  caused  her  death,  Ne-naw-bo-zhoo 


74  THE   OTTAWA   AND  CIIirPEWA 

was  in  a  great  rage  after  hearing  the  story  and  ho  det(M'mine(l  to 
seek  for  this  evil  being  and  slny  him.  Tlien  lie  innuediately  pre- 
l)ared  for  a  h)ng  journey,  and  trimmed  liis  ponderous  war  club 
nicely  and  prepared  to  be  in  a  great  battle.  So  olf  he  went  with 
his  great  black  wolf  on  the  war  path.  As  he  passed  through  the 
forest,  for  a  trial  of  his  strength  and  the  strength  of  his  war 
club,  he  simply  made  motions  with  it  toward  one  of  the  tallest 
pines  of  the  forest  and  the  gigantic  tree  came  down  all  into 
slivers.  "Ah,"  said  Ne-naw-bo-zhoo,  "  who  could  stand  against 
my  strength  and  the  strength  of  my  war  club."  After  many 
days  journey  going  into  every  nook  and  loo})  hole  of  the  earth, 
he  succeeded  at  last  in  having  a  glimpse  of  the  object  of  his 
search.  Ne-naw-bo-zhoo  ran  to  overtake  him,  and  chased  him 
all  over  tiie  world ;  and  evf  ry  now  and  then  he  would  Ix'  close 
enough  to  reach  him  with  his  wai-club  and  to  strike  at  him,  but 
he  would  on'\y  break  a  piece  of  the  monster's  svony  body,  which 
was  like  a  mountain  of  hard  tlint-stone.  So  the  legend  says 
that  whenever  we  find  a  pile  of  hard  flints  lying  on  the  face  of 
the  earth,  there  is  where  Ne-naw-bo.zhoo  overtook  his  brother 
monster  and  struck  him  with  his  tremendous  war-club.  At  last 
he  vanquished  him  on  the  east  shore  of  Grand  Traverse  Bay, 
Michigan,  near  the  i)lace  now  called  Antrim  City,  but  formerly 
by  the  Ottawa  and  Chippewa  Indians,  it  was  called  "  Pe-wa-na- 
go-ing,"  meaning  "  Flinty  Point,"  so  called  because  there  were 
great  rocks  of  flint  lying  near  the  edge  of  the  lake  shore.  And 
so  the  Ottawas  and  Cliippewas  say  it  is  there  where  the  old  car- 
cass of  the  monster  is  now  lying — the  brother  of  the  great  Ne- 
naw-bo-zhoo.  After  that  he  traveled  over  almost  every  part  of 
this  continent  sometimes  in  the  shape  of  an  animal  and  then 
again  in  human  shape.  Tliere  is  an  impression  of  human  foot 
tracks  on  a  very  smooth  rock  some  wheie  along  the  Ottawa  river 
in  Canada,  and  also  a  round  hole  about  as  large  and  deep  as  a 
common  brass  kettle  on  this  flat  rock  near  where  the  track  is 
and  every  Ottawa  and  Chippewii  calls  these  "  Ne-naw-bo-zhoo's 


INDIANS   OF   MICIITOAN.  75 

track  "  and  "  Ne-naw-ljo-zlioo's  kettle  where  he  dropped  it  when 
chasing  his  brotlier,"  and  then  they  would  drop  a  piece  of  tobacco 
in  the  kettle  as  a  sacrifice,  at  the  same  time  praying  for  luck  and 
a  prosperous  journey  to  Montreal  and  back  again  to  Michigan, 
their  native  home,  when  passing  this  place. 

Now  the  cause  of  the  great  flood  was  this:  The  god  of  the 
deep  was  exceedingly  jealous  about  Ne-naw-bo-zhoo's  hunting 
dog  (the  great  black  wolf)  and  therefore,  he  killed  it  and  made  a 
feast  with  it  and  invited  many  guests,  which  were  represented  as 
sea-serpents,  water-tigers>and  every  kind  of  monster  of  the  deep, 
and  they  had  a  great  feast.  When  Ne-naw-bo-zoo  found  out 
what  had  become  of  his  hunting  dog,  he  was  furiously  enraged, 
and  determined  to  kill  this  god  of  the  deep. 

There  was  a  certain  ])lace  where  he  was  accustomed  to  come 
on  the  shore  with  his  hosts,  particularly  on  very  fine  days,  to  sun 
themselves  and  enjoy  the  pleasure  of  being  on  a  dry  land.  Ne- 
naw-bo-zhoo  knew  this  lovely  spot  very  well.  So  right  away  he 
strung  up  his  bow  and  trimmed  his  arrows  nicely,  and  went  there 
to  watch,  transforming  himself  into  a  black  stump,  near  where 
these  water  gods  usually  lay  down  to  enjoy  themselves.  And 
therefore,  one  very  fine  day  the  sea-serpents  and  water-tigers 
were  very  anxious  to  come  on  shore  as  usual  and  asked  their 
master  to  accomi)any  them,  but  he  replied:  "I  feai  the  great 
Ne-naw-bo-zhoo  might  be  lurking  about  there,  and  he  will  kill 
me  because  I  have  killed  and  eaten  up  his  black  wolf."  But  he 
at  last  told  them  to  go  on  shore  and  examine  the  place  and  report 
if  it  was  all  clear;  but  they  found  nothing  unusual  about  the 
place  except  the  old  black  stump,  which  tliey  never  before  ob- 
served to  be  tlHU'e.  Therefore,  they  went  back  to  th»»ir  master 
and  reported  that  nothing  was  there  to  be  afraid  of  except  the 
old  black  stump  which  they  never  noticed  before.  ''Go  again," 
said  their  master  "  and  closely  examine  the  stump;  i)eradventure, 
it  was  he  transfigured  into  the  shai)e  of  the  stump."  So  again 
they  came  ashore  and  one  of  the  water-tigers  climbed  upon  it, 


76  THE   OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

inserting  his  long,  sharp  claws  as  he  went  up,  but  he  saw  nothing 
strange.  So,  also  the  sea-serpent  went  up  to  it  and  coiled  him- 
self around  tlie  stump  so  tight  that  Ne-naw-bo-zhoo  nearly  scream- 
ed with  pain.  At  last  tlie  serpent  uncoiled  liimself  and  they  went 
back  to  their  master  and  reported  to  him  tliat  it  was  notliing  but 
an  old  stump.  So  the  god  of  tlie  sea  concluded  to  come  ashore 
with  all  his  hosts,  slowly  and  cautiously  looking  in  every  direc- 
tion as  he  was  still  afraid  that  Ne-naw-bo-zhoo  might  be  lurking 
around  there  and  watching.  Soon  they  were  dozing  upon  the 
hot  sand  of  the  beach,  then  Ne-naw-bo-zhoo  unmasked  himself 
and  fixed  one  of  his  best  arrows  into  his  bow  and  shot  tiie  god  of 
the  deep  right  through  the  heart.  Then  all  the  host  started  to 
pursue  the  slayer  of  their  master.  Ne-naw-bo-zhoo  fled  for  his 
life ;  but  he  was  pursued  by  the  host  with  mountains  of  water. 
He  ran  all  over  the  earth,  still  pursued  with  the  mountains  of 
water.  So  when  he  could  not  find  any  more  dry  land  to  run  to» 
he  commanded  a  great  canoe  to  be  formed  in  which  he  and  the 
animals  who  were  fleeing  before  the  water,  were  saved.  After 
they  floated,  Ne-naw-bo-zhoo  wondered  very  much  how  deep  was 
the  water.  Ther^^fore,  he  ordered  one  of  the  beavers  to  go  down 
to  the  bottom  of  the  deep  and  bring  up  some  earth  if  he  could,  as 
evidence  that  he  did  go  to  the  bottom.  So  the  beaver  obeyed,  and 
he  went  down,  but  the  water  was  so  deep  the  beaver  died  before 
he  reached  the  bottom,  and  therefore,  he  came  up  floating  as  a 
dead  beaver.  Ne-naw-bo-zhoo  drew  him  up  into  his  canoe  and 
resuscitated  the  beaver  by  blowing  into  his  nostrils. 

So  he  waited  a  little  while  longer,  and  afterwards  he  ordered 
the  muskrat  to  go  down ;  but  the  muskrat  did  not  like  the  idea, 
for  he  had  seen  the  beaver  coming  up  lifeless.  So  he  had  to 
flatter  him  a  little  in  order  to  induce  him  to  go  down,  by  telling 
him,  "  Now,  muskrat,  I  know  that  thou  art  one  of  the  best  divers 
of  all  the  animal  creation;  will  you  please  go  down  and  ascertain 
the  depth  of  the  water,  and  bring  up  some  earth  in  your  little 
paws,  if  you  can,  with  which  I  shall  try  to  make  another  world  ? 


INDIANS  OF  MICHIGAN.  77 

Now  go  my  little  brother," — the  legend  says  that  he  called  all  the 
animal  creation  his  little  brothers, — "for  we  cannot  always  live 
on  the  waters."  At  last  the  muskrat  obeyed.  He  went  down, 
and  descended  clear  to  the  bottom  of  the  water,  and  grabbed 
the  earth  and  returned.  But  the  water  was  yet  so  deep  that  belore 
he  reached  the  surface  of  the  water,  he  expired. 

As  Ne-naw-bo-zhoo  drew  him  up  into  his  great  canoe  to  resus- 
citate him,  he  observed  the  muskrat  still  grasping  something  in 
his  little  paws,  and  behold,  it  was  a  piece  of  earth.  Then  Ne- 
naw-bo-zhoo  knew  that  the  muskrat  went  clear  to  the  bottom  of 
the  deep.  He  took  this  piece  of  earth  and  fixed  it  into  a  small 
parcel ;  which  he  fastened  to  tlie  neck  of  the  raven  which  was 
witn  him.  Now,  with  this  parcel,  Ne-naw-bo-zhoo  told  the  raven 
to  fly  to  and  fro  all  over  the  face  of  the  waters ;  then  the  waters  be- 
gan to  recede  very  fast,  and  soon  the  earth  came  back  to  its  natu- 
ral shape,  just  as  it  was  before. 

Again  this  same  Ne-naw-bo-zhoo  was  once  swallowed  by  a  fish, 
and  after  being  carried  about  in  the  midst  of  the  deep,  he  came 
out  again  and  lived  as  well  as  ever,  like  the  Prophet  Jonah.  This 
Ottawa  and  Chippewa  legend  is,  that  once  upon  a  time  there  was 
a  great  fish  that  resided  in  a  certain  lake,  and  as  the  people  passed 
through  tills  lake  in  their  canoes,  this  great  fish  was  accustomed 
to  come  after  those  crossing  the  lake  and  if  he  overtook  them  he 
would  swallow  them  up,  canoe  and  all,  like  swallowing  a  little 
clam  in  its  shell.  So  Ne-naw-bo-zhoo  said  to  himself,  "  This  great 
fish  will  eat  up  all  my  nephews.  Now  I  must  somehow  dispose 
of  him."  And  he  went  to  the  lake  in  his  canoe  expressly  to  look 
for  the  fish,  singing  daring  songs  as  he  went  along.  After  he  came 
in  the  midst  of  it,  there  he  stopped,  but  kejit  on  singing  the  fol- 
lowing words :  "  Mishe-la-me-gwe  Pe-le-wi-ko-lishim,  Pe-la-wi-ko- 
lishim  "  -daring  the  fish  to  come  and  swallow  him  up.  So  at  last 
the  great  fish,  Mishi-la-me-gwe,  did  come  and  swallow  the  great 
Ne-naw-bo-zhoo.  Butthis  was  just  what  he  wanted.  After  being 
swallowed,  he  was  able  to  dispose  of  this  big  fish,  for  with  his 


78  •  THE  OTTAWA   AND  CHIPPEWA 

weapons  he  caused  the  fish  such  pain  that  he  ran  on  the  shore 
and  died.  Alter  which,  Ne-naw-bo-zhoo  came  out  like  the 
Propliet  Jonah,  and  he  went  home  and  sat  down  to  smoke  his 
pipe,  perfectly  satisfied  that  he  had  saved  many  people  by  dispos- 
ing of  this  great  fish. 

These  are  some  of  the  legends  told  among  the  Ottawa  and 
Chippewa  Indians,  as  related  in  their  own  language,  which  are 
in  some  things  quite  similar  to  the  records  of  the  Bible. 


\ 


INDIANS  OF   MICHIGAN.  79 


CHAPTER  X. 

Traditions  of  the   Ottawas   Re;j;ardin;LC  Their  Early   Historj' — Their 
Wars  and  TlKsir  Confederations  With  Other  Tribes  of  Indians. 

Very  many  centuries  ago,  before  tlie  discovery  of  the  American 
continent  by  tlie  wliite  people,  tlie  traditions  of  the  Ottiiwas  say 
they  lived  along  the  banks  of  one  of  the  largest  tributaries  of  the 
St.  Lawrence,  now  known  as  the  Ottawa  river.  The  Ottawas 
spread  over  the  country  around  the  head  waters  of  this  stream, 
subduing  all  other  tribes  of  Indians  which  they  hai)pened  to  en- 
counter, except  the  Chippewas  and  Stockbridge  Indians.  They 
have  been  always  friendly  and  closely  related  with  these  tribes, 
and  consequently  no  war-club  was  ever  raised  by  either  of  these 
against  the  other.  Their  language  is  of  the  same  root,  as  they  could 
quite  intelligently  understand  eacli  other.  Their  manners  and 
customs  in  every  way  correspond.  Tlieir  legends,  particularly 
respecting  the  flood,  and  their  belief  in  the  Sui)reme  Being,  tlie 
great  creator  of  all  things — Ketchi-mat-ne-do — is  very  much  the 
same ;  also  their  belief  in  the  evil  spirit,  whose  habitation  was  un- 
der the  earth.  To  this  deity  they  offered  sacrifices  as  well  asto 
the  other  gods  or  deities.  Tliese  offerings  were  called  in  those 
days  peace-offerings  and  down-offerings.  They  never  sacrificed 
\  flesh  of  animals  to  the  evil  spirit.  Their  offering  to  this  deity 
was  parched  corn  pounded,  then  cooked  into  hominy;  this  was 
sacrificed  to  the  evil  spirit,  not  because  they  loved  him,  but  to  ap- 
pease his  wrath. 

Although  the  Chippewas  spe.ik  almost  the  same  language  as  the 
Ottawas  and  Stockbridge  Indians,  yet  they  seem  to  belong  to  an- 
other family  of  Indians,  as  they  aie  much  taller  than  tlie  Ottawas 
.  and  Stockbridges,  and  broader  across  the  shoulders — having  a  full 
-  chest,  very  erect  and  striding  firinly  in  their  walking.     They  were 
much  more  numerous  than  the  Ottawa  Indians.    They  extended 


80  THE   OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

from  lower  Canada  north-westward  up  to  Manitoba  county.  There 
are  three  kinds  of  Chippevvas,  each  kind  having  a  different  dialect. 
The  Chippewas  in  Canada,  around  the  Straits  of  Mackinaw,  the 
islands  in  Lake  Michigan,  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  and  west  of  Lake 
Superior,  are  much  more  enlightened  and  intelligent,  and  tliese, 
we  called  common  Chippewas;  but  those  on  the  plains  furtlier 
north  or  northwest  of  Lake  Superior,  "the  wild  Chippewas;"  and 
those  on  tiie  north  side  of  Lake  Superior  going  toward  Hudson 
Bay,  we  called  "the  Backwoodsmen."  This  latter  race  lived  en- 
tirely by  hunting  and  fishing  and  endured  very  great  hardsliips 
sometimes,  particularly,  when  there  was  scarcity  of  game.  The 
Chippewas  were  very  brave  people  on  the  war  path,  and  their 
principal  foes  were  Sioux  Indians  on  the  plains.  These  were 
called  in  the  Ottawa  language  "  Naw-do-wa-see,"  and  in  the  Chip- 
pewa "  Au-bwun."  Tlie  plurals  are  "  Naw-do-wa-see-wog  "  and 
"  Au-bwan-og."  The  "  Naw-do-wa-see-wog  "  are  deadly  enemies  of 
the  Ottawas  and  Chippewas,  and  they  are  the  most  careless  of  their 
lives,  for  they  taught  heir  children  from  infancy  not  to  fear  death. 
But  the  Ottawas  were,  however,  considered  as  tlie  most  ancient 
tribe  of  Indians  and  were  called  by  the  other  tride  "their  big 
brother."  Altliough  they  are  a  smaller  race,  in  stature,  tlien  many 
other  tribes,  they  were  known  as  the  most  wise  and  sagacious 
people.  Every  tribe  belonging  to  all  the  Algonquin  iamily  of 
Indians  looked  up  to  the  Ottawas  for  good  counsel ;  and  they  were 
as  brave  as  the  Chippevvas  and  very  expert  on  the  warpath. 

Every  tribe  of  Indians  has  a  different  coat  of  arms,  or  symbol- 
ical sign  by  which  they  are  known  to  one  another.  The  emblem 
of  the  Ottawas  is  a  moose;  of  the  Chippewas,  a  sea  gull;  of  the 
Backswoodsmen,  a  rabbit ;  that  of  the  underground  tribe,  to  which 
I  belong,  is  a  species  of  hawk ;  and  that  of  the  Seneca  tribe  of  In- 
dians is  a  crotch  of  a  tree.  The  Ottawa  Indians  are  very  nearly  ex- 
tinct in  the  state  of  Michigan  as  there  are  only  two  or  three  fam- 
ilies inthe  state,  whose  national  emblem  is  a  moose,  showing  thera 
to  be  descended  from  pure  Ottawa  blood ;  but  those  who  represent 


INDIANS  OP  MICHIGAN.  81 

ed  themselves  as  the  Ottawas  in  this  state  are  descendants  from 
various  tribes  of  Indians,  even  some  are  Senecas,  of  the  Iroquois 
family — formerly  deadly  enemies  of  the  Ottawas.  The  cause  of 
this  mixture  is  by  intermarriage,  and  by  prisoners  of  war  in  for- 
mer times. 

The  first  man  who  signed  the  treaty  of  1836,  one  of  the  Chip- 
pewas  of  the  Grand  River  Indians,  whose  name  was  "Mixinene," 
was  a  descendant  of  the  Backwoodsmen,  whose  emblem  was  a 
rabbit.  Therefore,  all  the  rest  of  those  Chippewas  who  went  to 
Washington  to  form  a  treaty  witli  the  Government  felt  displeased 
about  this  matter  and  tried  to  ignore  the  signature  of  Mixinene, 
because  they  thought  that  the  first  signature  should  have  been 
made  by  a  pure  Ottawa  or  a  pure  Chippewa,  because  they  had  the 
first  right  to  the  land  of  Michigan.  But  the  "  Backwoodsmen,'* 
they  considered,  had  no  claim  nor  title  to  this  land  which  they 
ceded  to  the  Government  of  the  United  States.  But  the  Govern, 
ment  did  not  know  the  difference,  however, — all  she  wanted  was 
the  land.  So  all  the  Chiefs  of  the  Ottawas  and  Chippewas  signed 
this  said  treaty,  not  with  free  will,  but  by  compulsion. 

The  tradition  gives  no  reason  why  the  Ottawas  continually  mov- 
ed towards  the  northwest  at  this  early  period ;  but  it  is,  however, 
supposed  that  it  was  on  account  of  their  deadly  enemies,  the  Iro- 
quois of  New  York,  as  they  were  continually  at  war  with  the  six 
nations  of  Indians.  Quite  often,  the  Iroquois  would  attack  them, 
but  the  tradition  says  that  in  almost  every  battle  the  Ottawas  would 
come  out  victorious  over  the  Iroquois.  The  Ottawas  too,  in  re. 
taliation,  would  go  to  the  Iroquois  country  to  scalp  some  of  the 
Iroquois;  then  have  their  jubilees  over  these  scalps  by  feasting 
and  dancing  around  them.  At  this  stage  of  their  existence  they  were 
an  exceedingly  fierce  and  warlike  people,  not  only  contending  with 
these  tribes,  but  also  with  many  others  out  west  and  soutli,  even 
to  the  Chocktaw  and  Cherokee  country  and  to  tlie  Flatheads, 
Sioux  Indians  and  the  Underground  race  of  people  out  west. 

As  the  Ottawas  continued  moving  up  ou  this  beautiful  stream 


8»  THE  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

of  water,  they  at  last  came  to  a  large  lake,  the  head  waters  of  the 
river.  The  surrounding  scenery  of  the  lake  was  most  surprisingly 
beautiful.  They  immediately  named  this  lake  Ke-tchi-ne-bissing, 
which  name  it  bears  to  this  day.  Here  the  Ottawas  concluded  to 
stop  and  occupy  the  surrounding  country.  Therefore,  they  pitch- 
ed their  tents  and  formed  a  great  village.  They  continued  to  re- 
side around  the  lake  for  untold  ages.  And  here  too  they  had 
many  hard  battles  with  the  Iroquois ;  but  the  Iroquois  were  not 
able  to  conquer  them  or  drive  them  from  the  country.  But  at  last 
the  Ottawas  became  discontented  with  the  place.  They  conclud- 
ed that  the  place  was  haunted  by  some  presiding  deity  wlio  was 
not  favorable  to  them.  They  probably  obtained  this  idea  through 
having  sometimes  great  disasters  in  war  with  the  Iroquois  at  this 
place.  I  will  here  relate  an  incident  which  happened  to  the  Ot- 
tawas at  about  this  time,  and  which  was  the  origin  of  their  be. 
lief  that  the  deity  of  the  place  was  unfavorable  to  them.  It  may 
be  considered  as  purely  fictitious,  but  every  Ottawa  and  Chippewa 
to  this  day  believes  it  to  have  actually  occurred. 

A  woman  went  down  to  the  beach  of  lake  Ke-tchine-bissing  to 
wash  some  of  her  clothing,  taking  jdong  her  infant  child,  which 
was  tied  up  on  a  board,  according  to  the  fashion  of  the  Indians. 
When  she  reached  the  beach,  she  set  her  child  down  very  near 
the  edge  of  the  water  that  it  might  watch  its  mother  while  at  work. 
Her  wigwam  stood  not  far  from  the  lake,  and  in  a  few  moments 
she  ran  to  it  for  something.  On  her  return  to  the  spot  she  was 
terribly  surprised  not  to  find  her  child  where  she  had  left  it 
but  a  few  minutes  before.  She  ran  frantically  through  the  vil- 
lage, crying  and  screaming,  and  saying  that  some  one  had  stolen 
her  baby.  A  few  days  after  this,  two  lovers  sat  upon  the  top  of 
the  highest  hillock  which  stood  back  of  the  village.  While  they 
were  talking  very  much  love  to  each  other,  they  heard  an  infant 
crying  bitterly,  in  the  ground  directly  under  them.  Every  one  who 
heard  the  report  said  at  once  that  it  must  be  the  same  baby  who 
was  mysteriously  missing  on  the  beach  a  few  days  before.    The 


INDIANS  OF   MICHIGAN.  83 

next  day  all  the  magicians  were  called  together  and  requested  to 
divine  this  mystery.  Some  went  and  put  themselves  into  the 
state  of  clairvoyance,  which  was  a  very  common  practice  among 
the  Ottawas  and  Cliippewas  within  my  time,  and  is  still  practiced 
to-day  where  there  is  no  Christianity  predominating  among  the 
Indians.  Other  magicians  built  themselves  lodges  in  which  to 
call  their  favorite  spirits  in  order  to  commune  with  them.  This 
which  we  might  call  Spiritualism,  was  practiced  among  the  In- 
dians much  as  among  the  whites  at  the  present  day.  The  form 
of  these  lodges  was  like  a  tower  in  circular  form  built  with  long 
poles  set  deep  in  the  ground  ten  or  twelve  feet  high,  then  covered 
tight  all  around  with  canvass  or  skins  of  animals,  except  the  top 
is  left  open.  Now  the  magician  or  the  performer  comes  with  the 
little  flat  magician's  rattle  like  a  tamborine.  They  always  build 
a  fire  close  to  the  lodge  so  tliat  the  attendants  and  spectators  could 
light  their  pil)es,  as  they  generally  smoke  much  during  the  per- 
formance. The  magician  sits  by  the  fire  also,  and  begins  to  talk 
to  the  people,  telling  them  that  lie  could  call  up  various  spirits, 
even  the  spirit  of  those  who  are  yet  living  in  the  world,  and  that 
they  should  hear  them  and  ask  them  any  questions  they  wish. 
After  which  he  begins  to  sing  a  peculiar  song  which  scarcely  any. 
one  could  understand.  Then  he  either  goes  into  the  lodge  by  crawl- 
ing under,  or  sits  out  side  with  the  rest  of  the  audience,  and  sim- 
ply throws  something  of  his  wear  in  the  lodge — his  blanket  or  his 
robe  or  coat.  And  immediately  the  lodge  begins  to  tremble,  ap- 
pearing to  be  full  of  wind.  Then  voices  of  various  kinds  are 
heard  from  top  to  bottom,  some  speaking  in  unknown  tongues, 
and  when  the  spectators  ask  any  questions  they  would  receive 
rei)lies  sometimes  with  unknown  tongues,  but  among  the  spirits 
there  is  always  a  special  interpreter  to  make  known  what  other 
spirits  says. 

After  the  magicians  had  finished  their  incantations,  one  of 
them,  whom  they  thought  greatt^st  of  all,  went  down  to  the  beach 
to  the  place  where  the  child  had  been  missing.    The  water  was 


84  THE  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

very  deep  there  along  the  beach  quite  close  to  the  shore.  He 
plunged  in  the  lake  and  was  gone  under  water  for  a  long  time. 
At  last  he  came  up  and  reported  that  he  had  discovered  a  door- 
way under  deep  water  for  a  passage  which  seemed  to  lead  toward 
the  top  of  the  hill.  He  believed  through  this  passage  the  child 
was  conveyed  to  the  top  of  the  hill  by  some  evil  monster,  and  all 
the  rest  of  the  magicians  agreed  with  this  opinion.  Therefore, 
they  returned  to  their  village  to  hold  another  council  and  they 
concluded  to  dig  down  wherever  the  magicians  would  direct  and 
try  to  find  the  passage.  They  found  the  passage  after  making  a 
very  deep  hole  which  to  this  day  is  said  to  be  yet  visible  at 
Ke-tchine-bissing.  While  they  were  digging,  two  supernatural 
monsters  ran  out  of  the  place ;  and  at  last  at  the  top  of  the  hill 
they  found  a  cavern  where  the  dead  form  of  the  child  was  dis- 
covered. 


-A. 


INDIANS  OP  MICHIGAN.  85 


CHAPTER  XI. 

The  Ottawas  Moving  Again  Towards  the  Setting  Sun — Coming  to 
Manitoulin,  or  Ottawa  Island — The  Names  of  Their  Leaders — The 
Wenebago  Warriors  Coming  to  Ottawa  Island  in  a  Hostile  Man- 
ner, Headed  by  0-saw-wa-ne  me-Ttee,  "The  Yellow  Thunder" — 
Death  of  Kaw-be-naw,  one  of  the  Greatest  Prophets  and  Warriors 
of  the  Ottawas — Masssicre  in  the  Country  of  Waw-gaw-na-ke-zhe, 
or  Arbor  Croche,  Emmet  County,  Michigan.  "*' 

Soon  after  the  loss  of  the  child,  the  Ottawas  abandoned  the  coun- 
try and  again  moved  toward  the  setting  sun  until  they  came  to 
Lake  Huron.    Here  they  discovered  a  great  island  which  is  now 
called  Manitoulin,  but  formerly,  the  Ottawa  Island.     Here  the 
Ottawas  remained  for  many  more  centuries.     Here  too,  w^as  born 
one  of  the  greatest  warriors  and  prophets  that  the  Ottaw^as  ever 
had,  whose  name  was  Kaw-be-naw.    This  word  is  accented  on  the 
last  syllable, — its   definition   is — "  He   would  be  brought  out." 
There  are  many  curious  and  interesting  adventures  related  of  this 
great  warrior  and  prophet,  a  record  of  which  would  require  a 
large  book.    But  I  will  here  give  one  of  the  last  acts  of  his  life. 
It  is  related  that  he  became  tired  of  living  and  killing  so  many 
people.    He  desired  to  die ;  but  he  could  not.     It  is  also  related 
that  the  We-ne-be-go  tribe  of  Indians  had  also  one  man  who  was 
almost  equal  in  power  to  Kaw-be-naw  whose  name  was  "  0-saw- 
wa-ne-me-kee  " — the  "  Yellow  Thunder."     Having  heard  the  fame 
of  Kaw-l)e-naw,  he  was  very  anxious  to  meet  liim  on  the  war  path 
that  he  might  have  an  opportunity  to  contend  with  him  in  battle. 
And  consequently  he  formed  a  most  enormous  expedition  to  the 
Island  with  his  numerous  warriors  expressly  to  meet  Kaw-be-naw. 
But  Kaw-be-naw  knowing  everything  that  was  going  on  in  the 
Wenebago  country,  told  his  ;  eople  to  prepare  for  a  great  war, 
for  numerous  Wenebagoes  were  coming  to  the  Island  headed  with 
0-so-wa-waw-ne-me-kee  in  a  very  hostile  manner. 


86  THE   OTTAWA   AND  CHIPPEWA 

At  last  0-paw-wa-ne  me-kee  landed  with  his  warriors  on  the 
Island,  and  marched  towards  the  largest  village  of  the  Ottawas, 
which  was  situated  in  the  interior  of  the  Island  where  there  was 
a  lake.  So  Kaw-be-naw  starts  with  his  wife,  pretending  that  he 
was  going  after  cedar  bark,  but  his  real  object  was  to  meet  the 
Wenebagoes  on  their  march  toward  the  village.  When  he  saw 
the  Wenebagoes  coming,  he  told  his  wife  to  run  home  quickly 
and  tell  nobody  what  she  had  seen,  and  he  alone  went  to  meet 
them.  When  they  saw  him  he  did  not  try  to  get  away,  so  they 
easily  captured  him.  Of  course  the  Wenebagoes  knew  not  that 
he  was  the  very  man  they  were  seeking.  They  asked  him  many 
questions  as  to  the  condition  of  the  Ottawas,  how  many  there  were 
in  the  village,  and  whether  Kaw-be-naw  was  at  home  or  not.  He 
told  them  the  Ottawas  were  in  good  condition  to  tight,  but  Kaw- 
be-naw  was  not  at  home  just  then,  but  would  probably  be  home 
by  to-morrow  or  day  after,  as  he  was  gone  only  to  get  cedar  bark 
somewhere.  The  Wenebegoes  made  a  deep  pit  in  the  ground  and 
after  lieing  Kaw-be-naw  they  threw  him  in  the  pit  and  covered 
him  with  heavy  stones  and  dirt  and  then  marclied  on. 

Wiien  they  came  in  view  of  the  village  they  halted.  They  con- 
cluded that  they  would  not  make  the  attack  until  morning.  Kaw- 
be  naw,  after  lying  awhile  in  the  pit,  magically  released  himself 
and  went  home,  and  told  his  people  that  the  Wenebagoes  were 
very  close  at  hand ;  and  by  to-morrow  there  would  be  a  great  battle, 
80  every  man  must  be  well  prepared.  The  village  was  in  terrible 
anxiety  that  night,  the  women  and  cliildren  were  all  gathered  in 
one  place  and  the  warriors  in  another,  and  the  village  was  well 
guarded.  Early  in  the  morning  the  war  cry  was  heard,  and  every 
warrior  went  forward  to  meet  the  Wenebagoes,  but  Kaw-be-naw 
remained  in  his  lodge  while  his  warriors  were  fighting.  The  old 
O-so-waw-ne-me-kee  was  nearly  naked  and  frightfully  painted 
from  head  to  foot,  so  that  he  looked  more  like  a  demon  than  a 
human  being.  Of  course  he  did  not  know  wlio  might  be  Kaw- 
be-naw  among  the  Ottawas,  therefore  he  sang  out,  saying,  "  Where 


INDIANS  OF   MICHIGAN.  87 

is  your  great  Kaw-be-naw  V  I  should  like  to  meet  him  in  this  bat- 
tle." So  one  of  the  warriors  replied,  "Don't  you  know  that  you 
have  buried  our  great  Kaw-be-uaw  in  the  pit  yesterday  ?"  '*  Thanks 
to  the  Great  Spirit  for  delivering  the  Ottawas  into  my  hands," 
said  old  0-so-waw-ne-me-kee  triumphantly.  Just  then  Kaw-be- 
naw  came  out  of  his  lodge  in  full  uniform  of  black  bearskins, 
with  his  ponderous  war  club  in  his  hand,  and  mocked  hJs  antag- 
onist by  saying,  "Thanks  to  the  Great  Spirit,  here  I  am;  and  now 
meet  me  all  you  want."  Kaw-be-naw  looked  so  grand  and  noble, 
and  was  sucli  an  extraordinary  ])ers()nji  ;e  that  0-so-waw-ne-me-kee 
did  not  know  what  to  do  with  himself,  whether  to  yield  or  to 
fight.  But  remembering  his  previous  threats,  he  made  out  to  face 
him.  However  Kaw-be-naw  did  not  take  long  to  dispose  of  him; 
0-so-waw-ne-me-kee  was  soon  slain.  When  the  Wenebagoes  saw 
that  tlieir  great  warriar  was  no  more,  they  immediately  raised  a 
flag  of  truce,  and  requested  that  they  might  acknowledge  them- 
selves as  conquered  and  depart  in  peace. 

During  the  affray  with  0-so-waw-ne-me-kee,  Kaw-be-naw  receiv- 
ed a  little  scratch  on  his  nose  which  drew  a  few  drops  of  his 
blood,  and  therefore  when  he  saw  a  flagof  truce  he  disarmed  liim- 
self  and  went  to  the  Wenebagoes,  saying,  "  O,  you  have  killed  me." 
The  Wenebagoes  said,  "How  and  where?"  " Don't  you  see  the 
blood  on  my  nose?"  "Pshaw,  that  is  only  a  scratch,"  said  the 
Wenebagoes.  "  Well,  that  very  thing  will  cause  me  to  die."  The 
Wenebagoes  tried  to  send  him  away,  but  he  would  not  leave  them. 
At  last  they  took  him  prisoner.  They  tied  him  with  small  strong 
cord  which  every  warrior  generally  carries  in  case  of  capture- 
As  they  journeyed  towards  their  home  one  fine  day,  they  began  to 
council  about  him,  saying,  "This  man  will  never  die.  When  we 
get  him  into  our  country,  he  will  make  a  terrible  slaughter  among 
our  women  and  children.  We  better  dispose  of  him  be''ore  we 
reach  home."  So  they  concluded  to  sink  him  into  deep  water. 
Therefore  they  tied  a  big  stone  about  his  neck  and  put  him  over- 
board.    They  went  on  rejoicing  and  traveled  all  day  in  their 


THE  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

canoes,  thinking  that  they  had  disposed  of  the  greatest  man  in 
the  world  and  were  very  much  elated  at  the  idea ;  forgetting  how 
he  had  once  escaped  after  being  buried  in  a  deep  pit.  When 
evening  came,  they  encamped  for  the  night.  While  they  were 
preparing  their  food,  they  saw  a  man  coming  along  on  the  beach 
to^  ard  them  who  appeared  to  them  like  Kaw-be-naw.  The  Wene- 
bagoes  were  in  terrible  consternation.  Soon  he  came  up  to  them, 
and  behold  it  was  he.  Then  the  Wenebagoes  were  in  great  ter- 
ror. But  as  he  came  up  to  them  he  spoke  very  pleasently,  saying, 
"  Ho,  what  a  pleasent  journey  we  have  had  to-day.  Well,  children, 
have  you  any  meat?  I  am  getting  quite  hungry  after  traveling 
all  day."  Of  course  they  had  to  treat  him  as  well  as  they  could, 
and  Kaw-be  naw  came  into  the  m.idst  of  them.  That  night  the 
Wenebagoes  lay  awake  all  night,  and  they  thought  every  moment 
they  would  be  slaughtered  by  Kaw-be-naw  in  revenge  for  trying 
to  drown  him.  In  the  morning  after  breakfast  as  they  were  pre- 
paring to  go  Kaw-be-naw  spoke  to  them  saying,  "  Children,  if  you 
want  to  kill  me,  I  will  tell  you  how.  You  must  take  all  the  flesh 
from  off  my  body  by  cutting  it  piece  by  piece  with  your  knives, 
and  leave  no  flesh  upon  my  bones ;  for  this  is  the  only  way  that  I 
can  bo  killed."  The  Wenebagoes  were  terribly  frightened  as  they 
thought  that  so  soon  as  any  one  would  touch  him  he  would  kill 
every  Wenebago.  So  they  held  a  council  to  determine  what  they 
should  do.  But  the  majority  were  in  favor  of  performing  this 
dreadful  act,  as  Kaw-be-naw  ordered,  for  he  desired  to  die.  When 
they  came  back,  Kaw-be-naw  persisted  that  they  should  begin* 
and  assured  them  that  he  would  never  resist.  At  last,  one  of  the 
bravest  Wenebagoes  went  up  to  him  and  cut  a  piece  of  his  flesh. 
Kaw-be-naw  never  stirred  but  simply  smiled  and  said,  "  That  is 
the  way  you  must  do.  What  are  you  afraid  of?  Come  all  ye  who 
have  sharp  knives."  Pretty  soon  they  were  all  around  him  taking 
his  flesh  piece  after  piece.  When  it  was  all  done  he  said,  "  It  is 
finished;  now  I  shall  sundy  die.  But  as  recompense  for  my  flesh 
and  life  a  great  battle  will  be  made  against  you  by  my  successor. 


INDIANS  OF  MICHIGAN.  89 

and  as  many  of  your  best  young  men  shall  fall  in  this  battle  as 
pieces  have  been  cut  from  m^  flesh."  At  the  end  of  this  sentence, 
he  fell  backwards  and  died.  Thus  ended  the  career  of  the  great 
Kaw-be-naw,  the  Ottawa  warrior  and  prophet. 

"  Shaw-ko-we-sy "  was  the  successor  of  Kaw-be  naw  and  was 
almost  equal  in  power  to  his  predecessor.  It  is  related  that  in 
the  following  year,  he  went  to  the  Wenebago  country  with  his 
numercMS  warriors  and  killed  many  Wenebagoes,  as  many  as 
Kaw-be-naw  predicted,  and  returned  late  in  the  fall  to  their  Island 
with  many  of  the  Wenebagoes'  scalps.  While  they  were  having 
jubilees,  festivities,  and  war  dances  over  these  scalps  of  the  Wene- 
bagoes, in  the  dead  of  winter,  the  tribe  of  Michilimackinawgoes, 
the  remnant  race  of  Indians  who  resided  at  the  Isbmd  now  called 
Mackinac,  whose  fate  has  been  given  in  a  previous  chapter,  were 
destroyed.  Tliis  is  the  time,  according  to  the  Ottawa  traditions, 
that  the  Iroquois  of  New  York  came  upon  this  race  of  people  and 
almost  entirely  annihilated  them,  and  the  Ottawas  and  Chippewas 
called  this  Island  Michilimackinong  in  order  to  perpetuate  the 
name  of  these  unfortunate  Indians. 

There  were  also  a  small  tribe  of  Indians,  beside  the  Chippewas, 
that  resided  on  the  north  side  of  the  strait  whose  principal  village . 
was  situated  at  the  place  now  called  St.  Ignace,  but  the  Ottawas 
and  Chippewas  call  this  place  to  this  day  *'Naw-do-we-que-yah- 
mi-shen-ing,"  which  is  a  compound  name  from  "  Naw-do-we," 
the  name  of  tlie  tribe  who  resided  there,  and  "  Na-yah-me-shen, 
point  of  laud  in  water.  And  afterwards  part  of  the  Ottawas  came 
over  from  their  Island  and  resided  with  them,  during  the  days  of 
old  Saw-ge-maw,  who  was  one  of  the  great  warriors  and  leaders  of 
the  Ottawas.  But  afterwards  8aw-ge-maw  quarreled  with  them 
and  broke  up  the  confederacy  and  drove  them  off.  Herr-,  too,  at 
about  this  time,  part  of  the  Ottawas  left  the  country  in  anger  be- 
cause they  were  cheated  out  of  one  of  the  great  feasts  they  were 
having  on  some  particular  occasion.  These  went  far  west  and 
joined  the  Sho-sho-nee  tribe  of  Indians,  whose  country  lies  on  the 


90  THE   OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

side  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  consequently  tlie  Ottawa  lan- 
guage is  quite  extensively  spoken  among  that  tribe  of  Indians  to 
this  day. 

The  south  side  of  the  straits,  which  now  constitutes  Emmet, 
Cheboygan  and  Charlevoix  counties,  our  tradition  says,  was  ex- 
ceedingly thickly  populated  by  another  race  of  Indians,  whom  the 
Ottawas  called  Mush-co-desh,  which  means,  "the  Prairie  tribe." 
They  were  so  called  on  account  of  being  great  cultivators  of  the 
soil,  and  making  the  woodland  into  prairie  as  they  abandoned 
their  old  worn  out  gardens  which  formed  grassy  i)lains.  It  is  re- 
lated, this  tribe  was  quite  peaceable,  and  were  never  known  to  go 
on  a  warpath.  The  Ottawas  of  Manitoulin  had  joined  hands  with 
them  as  their  confederates.  They  called  each  other  "  brothers." 
But  on  one  of  the  western  war  trips  of  the  great  Saw-ge-maw,  who 
existed  about  the  time  America  was  first  discovered  by  white  men, 
he  met  with  great  disaster,  as  many  of  his  warriors  were  killed; 
so  on  returning  homeward  with  his  remaining  survivors,  they 
crossed  Little  Traverse  Bay  in  a  canoe  and  approached  the  shores 
of  Arbor  Croche  at  the  place  now  c  died  Seven  Mile  Point,  where 
there  was  a  large  village  of  Mush-co-desh.  Saw-ge-maw  said  to 
his  few  warriors,  "Let  us  take  our  sad  news  to  our  relations  the 
Mush-co-desh."  So  as  they  approached  the  shore  they  began  to 
make  an  unearthly  wailing  noise,  according  to  the  custom  of  the 
Ottawas,  which  was  called  the  death  song  of  the  warriors.  When 
the  Mush-co-dish  heard  them  they  said  to  one  anothei",  'Hark,  the 
Ottawas  are  crying.  They  have  been  marauding  among  some 
tribes  in  the  west;  but  this  time  they  have  been  worsted — good 
enough  for  them.  See,  they  are  coming  ashore.  Let  us  not  per- 
mit them  to  land."  So  instead  of  preparing  to  join  in  their 
mourning,  as  would  have  been  proper,  they  rashly  determined  to 
express  their  disapproval  of  the  marauding  expeditions  and  their 
contempt  for  those  who  engaged  in  them.  Before  Saw-ge-maw 
had  fairly  touched  the  beach,  parties  of  Mush-co-desh  ran  down 
to  the  shore  with  balls  of  ashes  wrapped  up  in  forest  leaves  and 


INDIANS  OF   MICHIOAN.  91 

with  these  they  pelted  Saw-ge-maw  and  his  party  as  they  came 
ashore.  This  treatment  dreadfully  provoked  Saw-ge-maw,  and 
the  insult  was  such  as  could  only  he  wiped  out  with  hlood.  He 
told  his  warriors  to  pull  homeward  as  quickly  as  possihle.  "  We 
will  come  back  here  in  a  few  days ;  we  will  not  have  to  go  so  far 
again  to  look  for  our  enemies."  Arriving  at  Manitoulin  Island, 
he  immediately  prepared  for  a  great  war.  After  they  were  com- 
pletely equipped,  they  came  back  to  the  southern  peninsula  of 
Micliigan,  stealtliily  and  carefully  landing  at  the  most  uninhabit- 
ed part  of  the  shore.  They  then  marched  to  one  of  the  largest 
villages  of  Mush-co-desh,  which  was  situated  between  Cross  Vil- 
lage vnd  Little  Traverse,  in  a  beautiful  valley  in  the  northern  part 
of  tlie  township  now  called  Friendship.  Arriving  late  in  the 
afternoon  within  view  of  the  village,  the  Ottawas  hid  in  ambush. 
One  of  the  old  women  of  the  Mush-co-dosh  was  going  through  the 
bushes  looking  for  young  basswood  bark  from  which  to  manufac- 
ture twine  or  cord.  She  came  right  where  the  Ottawas  were  lying 
in  ambush.  She  was  terribly  suri)rised,  but  the  Ottawas  persuad- 
etJ  her  not  to  reveal  their  presence  by  telling  her  they  would  give 
her  a  young  man  as  her  husband,  pointing  to  one  of  the  best  look, 
ing  young  warriors  there.  They  told  her,  early  in  the  morning 
they  were  going  to  fall  upon  the  village  and  kill  every  one  of  the 
Mush-co-desh,  but  when  she  heard  the  war-whoop  she  must  run 
to  them  and  slie  should  not  be  killed  but  be  protected.  The  fool- 
ish woman  believed  and  kept  the  secret.  Early  in  the  morning 
the  war  cry  was  heard,  and  she  ran  to  the  Ottawas  to  be  protected, 
but  she  was  the  first  one  to  be  slain.  It  was  indeed  a  terrible 
calamity  for  the  Mush-co-desh.  At  the  begining  of  the  noise  of 
massacre,  the  chief  of  the  Mush-co-desh  ran  forward  and  screamed 
loud  as  he  could,  saying,  "  O !  My  father,  Saw-ge-maw,  what  is  the 
cause  of  your  coming  upon  us  so  suddenly  with  death,  as  we  have 
never  wronged  your  race?"  "Have  you  already  forgotten"  said 
Saw-ge-maw  triumphantly,  "  that  you  have  greatly  insulted  me  on 
your  borders  ?    You  have  pelted  me  with  ashes  when  I  was  la- 


92         >  THE  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

menting  over  the  loss  of  my  braves."  When  the  Mush-co-desh 
saw  they  could  not  prevail  on  Saw-ge-maw,  nor  could  withstand 
an  adversary  so  formidable  and  such  well  prepared  warriors, 
they  endeavored  to  flee,  but  they  were  overtaken  and  slaughtered. 
Only  the  swiftfooted  young  men  escaped,  taking  the  sad  message 
to  other  villages  of  Mush-co-desh,  and  as  fast  us  the  news  reached 
them  tkey  fled  with  their  women  and  children  toward  the  south 
along  the  shore  of  Lake  Michigan,  and  continued  to  fly,  although 
they  were  not  pursued  by  the  Ottawas,  till  they  reached  the  St. 
Joseph  River,  and  there  they  stopped,  and  formed  a  union  village, 
and  began  to  cultivate  the  soil  again. 

The  tradition  says  this  was  the  greatest  slaughter  or  massacre 
the  Ottaw^as  ever  committed.  The  inhabitants  of  this  village 
were  probably  from  forty  to  fifty  thousand.  There  were  many 
other  villages  of  Mush-co-desh  of  minor  importance  everywhere 
scattered  through  the  northern  part  of  the  southern  peninsula  of 
Michigan.  Where  this  doomed  village  was  situated  is  yet  to  this 
day  distinctly  visible,  as  there  are  some  little  openings  and  trails 
not  overgrown  by  the  forest. 

.  Soon  after  this  the  Ottawas  abandoned  their  island  and  came 
over  and  took  possession  of  the  country  of  the  Mush-co-desh. 
Most  of  them  settled  at  the  place  now  called  Magulpin's  Point, 
where  the  present  lighthouse  is  situated,  near  old  Mackinac.  At 
the  time  the  French  settled  in  Montreal,  Au-tche-a,  one  of  the 
Ottawa  prophets,  told  his  people  there  were  some  strange  persons 
living  in  this  continent,  who  were  far  superior  to  any  other  in- 
habitants upon  the  earth.  So  Au-tche-a  determined  to  search  for 
these  wonderful  people  and  he  persuaded  five  of  his  neighbors  to 
accompany  him  in  his  undertaking.  They  started  out,  but  they 
went  a  very  roundabout  way,  and  it  was  a  long  time  before  they 
came  to  the  Ottawa  river ;  then  floating  down  they  came  out  on 
the  St.  Lawrence.  They  were  gone  for  more  than  a  year.  When 
they  came  where  t;Ki  white  men  were,  they  first  saw  a  vessel  or 
ship  anchored  in  the  middle  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  which  they 


.        INDIANS  OF  MICHIGAN.  93 

thought  was  a  monster  waiting  to  devour  them  as  they  came 
along.  But  as  they  neared  it  they  saw  some  people  on  the  back 
of  the  monster.  So  Autchea  and  his  party  were  taken  on  board, 
add  his  little  frail  canoe  was  hoisted  into  the  ship.  They  found 
some  Stockbridge  Indians  there  also,  who  spoke  a  dialect  of  their 
language.  After  exchanging  all  they  had,  and  learning  how  to 
handle  firearms,  they  started  back  again  to  the  straits  of  Mackinac. 
The  tradition  says,  they  arrived  at  their  village  on  an  exceedingly 
calm  day,  and  the  water  was  in  perfect  stillness  in  the  straits. 
The  Indians  saw  the  canoe  coming  towards  the  shore  of  the  vil- 
lage, when  suddenly  a  puff  of  smoke  was  seen  and  a  terrific  clash 
of  sound  followed  immediately.  All  the  inhabitants  were  panic 
stricken,  and  thought  it  was  something  supernatural  approaching 
the  shore.  But  again  and  again  they  witnessed  the  same  thing, 
as  it  came  nearer  and  nearer.  At  last  they  recognized  the  great 
prophet  Au-tche-a  and  his  party  coming  back  from  his  long  trip, 
having  found  his  "Manitou"  that  he  was  looking  after.  The 
reader  may  imagine  how  it  was,  when  Au-tche-a  landed  and  ex- 
hibited his  strange  articles — his  gun  with  its  belongings,  his  axes, 
his  knives,  his  new  mode  of  making  fire,  his  cooking  utensils, 
his  clothing  and  his  blankets.  It  was  no  small  curiosity  to  the 
aborigines. 

The  Ottawas  gradually  extended  their  settlements  towards  the 
south,  along  the  shore  of  Lake  Michigan.  The  word  Michigan 
is  an  Indian  name,  which  we  pronounce  Mi-chi-gum,  and  simply 
means  "  monstrous  lake."  My  own  ancestors,  the  Undergrounds, 
settled  at  Detroit,  and  they  considered  this  was  the  extent  of  their 
possessions.  But  the  greatest  part  of  the  Ottawas  settled  at  Arbor 
Croche,  which  I  have  already  related  as  being  a  continuous  vil- 
lage some  fifteen  miles  long.  But  in  the  forest  of  this  country 
were  not  many  deer,  and  consequently  when  the  winter  approach- 
ed most  of  the  Indians  went  south  to  hunt,  returning  again  in  the 
spring  loaded  with  dry  meat. 

The  Musi -co-desh  were  not  long  in  safety  in  the  southern  part 


94       t  THE   OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

of  the  state.  Intercourse  had  been  opened  between  the  French 
and  the  Ottawas  and  Chippewas  on  the  straits  of  Mackinac  and 
being  supplied  with  fire  arme  and  axes  by  the  French  people,  it 
occurred  to  the  Ottawas  that  these  impliments  would  be  effective 
in  battle.  Anxious  to  put  them  to  the  test,  they  resolved  to  try 
them  on  their  old  enemies,  the  Mush-co-desh,  who  had  not  yet 
seen  tlie  white  man  and  were  unacquainted  with  firearms.  Ac- 
cordingly an  expedition  was  fitted  out.  As  the  Ottawas  approach- 
ed the  village  of  their  enemies,  each  carrying  a  gun,  the  Mush-co- 
desh  thought  they  were  nothing  but  clubs,  so  came  out  with  their 
bows  and  arrows,  anticipating  an  easy  victory.  But  they  soon 
found  out  that  they  were  mistaken.  As  the  Ottawas  came  up  they 
suddenly  halted,  not  near  enough  to  be  reached  by  any  arrows  of 
Mush-co-desh,  but  the  Ottawas  began  to  fire  away  with  their  guns. 
Poor  Mush-co-desh ;  they  suffered  more  than  ever  in  this  second 
crushing  defeat.  The  Ottawas  left  only  one  family  of  Mush-co- 
desh  at  this  time  and  these  went  west  somewhere  to  find  a  new 
home.  My  father  and  my  uncles  in  their  younger  days  while 
they  were  making  a  tour  out  west,  happened  to  come  across  the 
descendants  of  this  nearly  anihilated  tribe  of  Indians.  They  had 
grown  to  nine  lodges  only  at  tliat  time,  and  they  visited  them  in 
a  friendly  manner.  The  old  warriors  wept  as  they  were  convers- 
ins  with  them  on  their  terrible  calamities  and  misfortunes  and 
their  being  once  powerful  allies  and  closely  related ;  for  these  few 
still  remembered  tlie  past,  and  what  had  become  of  their  ancestors. 
After  the  Ottawas  took  complete  possession  of  the  southern 
peninsula  of  Michigan,  they  fought  some  more  tribes  of  Indians, 
subdued  them,  and  compelled  them  to  form  confederation  with 
them  as  their  allies.  Such  as  Po-to-wa-tomies,  Mano-me-mis,  O- 
daw-gaw-mies,  Uronsand  Assawgies,  who  formerly  occupied  Saw- 
ge-naw-bay.  Therefore  the  word  Saginaw  is  derived  from  the 
name  Os-saw-gees,  who  formerly  lived  there.  They  have  been  al- 
ways closely  united  with  the  (.'hippewas  and  very  often  they  went 
together  on  the  warpath,  except  at  one  time  they  nearly  fought 


,         INDIANS  OP  MICHIGAN.  95 

on  account  of  a  murder,  as  has  been  herfein  related.    Also  the 
Shaw-wa-nee  tribe  of  Indians  were  always  closely  related  to  them. 

But  the  Ottawa  nation  of  Indians  are  always  considered  as  the 
oldest  and  most  expert  on  the  warpath  and  wise  councilors ;  and 
consequently  every  tribe  of  Indians  far  and  near,  even  as  far  as 
the  Manitoba  country,  out  north,  deposited  their  pipe  of  peace 
with  the  head  chief  of  the  Ottawa  nation  as  a  pledge  of  continual 
peace  and  friendship.  Every  pipe  of  peace  contained  a  short 
friendly  address  which  must  be  committed  to  memory  by  every 
speaker  in  the  council  of  the  Ottawas.  If  there  was  ever  any  out- 
break among  these  tribes  who  deposited  their  pipe  of  peace  with 
the  head  chief  of  the  Ottawa  nation,  a  general  council  would  be 
called  by  the  chiefs  of  the  Ottawas,  and  the  pipe  of  peace  belong- 
ing to  the  tribe  who  caused  the  trouble  would  be  lighted  up,  and 
the  short  address  contained  in  the  pipe  would  be  repeated  in  the 
council  by  one  of  the  speakers.  When  the  cause  of  the  outbreak 
or  trouble  was  ascertained,  then  reconciliation  must  be  had,  and 
friendly  relation  must  be  restored,  in  which  case  they  almost  in- 
variably succeeded  in  making  some  kind  of  reasonable  settlement. 
This  was  the  custom  of  all  these  people ;  and  this  is  what  form- 
erly constituted  the  great  Algonquin  family  of  Indians. 

There  are  many  theories  as  to  the  origin  of  the  Indian  race  in 
America,  but  nothing  but  speculation  can  be  given  on  this  sub- 
ject.  But  we  believe  there  must  have  been  people  living  in  this 
country  before  those  tribes  who  were  driven  out  by  the  Ottawas 
and  Chippewas,  who  were  much  more  advanced  in  art  and  in 
civilization,  for  many  evidences  of  their  work  have  been  discov- 
ed.  About  two  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago,  We-me-gen-de-bay, 
one  of  our  noted  chiefs,  discovered  while  hunting  in  the  wilder- 
ness a  great  copper  kettle,  which  was  partly  in  the  ground.  The 
roots  of  trees  had  grown  around  it  and  over  it,  and  when  it  was 
taken  up  it  appeared  as  if  it  had  never  been  used,  but  seemed  to 
be  just  as  it  came  from  the  maker,  as  there  was  yet  a  round  bright 
spot  in  the  center  of  the  bottom  of  it.    This  kettle  was  large 


96  THE  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

enough  to  cook  a  whole  deer  or  bear  in  it.  For  a  long  time  the 
Indians  kept  it  as  a  sacred  relic.  They  did  not  keep  it  near  their 
premises,  but  securely  hidden  in  a  place  most  unfrequented  by 
any  human  being.  They  did  not  use  it  for  anything  except  for 
great  f  eastt.  Their  idea  with  regard  to  this  kettle  was  that  it  was 
made  by  some  deity  who  presided  over  the  country  where  it  was 
found,  and  that  the  copper  mine  must  be  very  close  by  where  the 
kettle  was  discovered.  Gne  peculiarity  of  its  manufacture  was 
that  it  had  no  iron  rim  around  it,  nor  bail  for  hanging  while  in 
use,  as  kettles  are  usually  made,  but  the  edge  of  the  upper  part 
was  much  thicker  than  the  rest  and  was  turned  out  square  about 
three-fourths  of  an  inch,  as  if  made  to  rest  on  some  support  while 
in  use.  When  the  Indians  came  to  be  civilized  in  Grand  Traverse 
country,  they  began  to  use  this  "  Mani-tou-au-kick,"  as  they  called 
it,  in  common  to  boil  tne  sugar  sap  in  it,  instead  of  cooking  bear 
for  the  feast.  And  while  I  was  yet  in  the  government  blacksmith 
shop  at  the  Old  Mission  in  Grand  Traverse,  they  brought  this 
magical  kettle  to  our  shop  with  an  order  to  put  an  iron  rim  and 
bail  on  it  so  that  it  could  be  hanged  in  boiling  sugar,  and  I  did 
the  work  of  fixing  the  kettle  according  to  the  order. 

From  this  evidence  of  working  in  metals  and  from  the  many 
other  relics  of  former  occupants,  it  is  evident  that  this  country 
has  been  inhabited  for  many  ages,  but  whether  by  descendants  of 
the  Jews  or  of  other  Eastern  races  there  is  no  way  for  us  to  de- 
termine. 


INDIANS  OP  MICHIGAN.  97 


,  .^  -■.■!,^- 


^^^^ -h         -    ^         CHAPTER  XII.  r 

The  Present  Condition  of  the  Indians  of  this  State. 

Some  histories  have  been  written  by  white  men  of  events  since 
the  Ottawa  and  Chippewa  Indians  came  in  contact  with  white 
people  in  this  part  of  the  country,  but  here  is  given  the  history  of 
this  race  of  Indians  before  that  time.  This  account  of  the  Ottawa 
and  Chippewa  Indians  is  of  as  much  interest  to  every  inquirer 
into  the  histories  of  nations,  as  that  of  any  other  people ;  and  all 
philanthropic  people,  and  those  who  are  endeavoring  to  enlighten 
and  Christianize  the  Indians,  will  feel  deeply  interested  in  be- 
coming acquainted  with  the  past  history  as  well  as  the  present 
condition  of  these  once  numerous  and  warlike  people. 

There  are  now  but  comparatively  few  living  in  the  State  of 
Michigan,  trying  to  become  civilized  and  to  imitate  their  white 
neighbors  in  agricultural  industries  and  other  civilized  labors. 
The  greater  part  of  them  are  being  Christianized  and  are  mem- 
bers of  various  Christian  churches  of  the  country,  erecting  houses 
of  worship  with  their  own  hands  in  which  to  worship  the  true 
God  in  spirit  and  in  truth.  A  few  of  them  are  becoming  native 
preachers  and  expounders  of  the  Gospel. 

A  treaty  was  concluded  in  the  city  of  Washington  in  the  year 
1836,  to  which  my  people — the  Ottawas  and  Chippewas — were 
unwilling  parties,  but  they  were  compelled  to  sign  blindly  and 
ignorant  of  the  true  spirit  of  the  treaty  and  the  true  import  of 
some  of  its  conditions.  They  thought  when  signing  the  treaty 
that  they  were  securing  reservations  of  lands  in  different  localities 
as  permanent  homes  for  themselves  and  their  children  in  the  fut- 
ure ;  but  before  six  months  had  elapsed  from  the  time  of  signing 
this  treaty,  or  soon  after  it  had  been  put  in  pamphlet  form  so  that 
all  persons  could  read  it  and  know  its  terms,  they  were  told  by 


98  THE  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

their  white  neighbors  that  their  reservations  of  land  would  ex- 
pire in  five  years,  instead  of  being  perpetual,  as  they  believed. 
At  the  end  of  this  time,  they  would  be  compelled  to  leave  their 
homes,  and  if  they  should  refuse  they  would  be  driven  at  the 
point  of  the  bayonet  into  a  strange  land,  where,  as  is  almost  al- 
ways the  case,  more  than  one-half  would  die  before  they  could  be 
acclimated.  At  this  most  startling  intelligence  more  than  half  of 
my  people  fled  into  Canada ;  fled  to  the  protection  of  the  British 
government ;  fled,  many  of  them,  even  before  receiving  a  single 
copper  of  the  promised  annuities ;  fled  to  a  latitude  like  that  in 
which  they  had  been  accustomed  to  live.  The  balance  of  them 
determined  to  remain  and  await  whatever  the  consequences  might 
be,  and  receive  the  annuities  which  they  were  promised  for 
twenty  years.  But  fortunately  their  expulsion  from  the  State  was 
suddenly  stayed,  in  the  years  1850  and  '51.  By  the  kindness  of 
the  people  of  the  State  of  Michigan,  they  were  adopted  as  citizens 
and  made  equal  in  rights  with  their  white  neighbors.  Their 
voice  was  to  be  recognized  in  the  ballot  box  in  every  election ; 
and  I  thought,  this  is  what  ought  to  be,  for  the  same  God  who 
created  the  white  man  created  the  red  man  of  the  forest,  and 
therefore  they  are  equally  entitled  to  the  benefits  of  civilization, 
education  and  Christianity. 

At  that  time  I  was  one  of  the  principal  ones  who  advocated  this 
cause,  for  I  had  already  received  a  partial  education,  and  in  my 
understanding  of  this  matter,  I  thought  that  was  the  only  salva- 
tion of  my  people  from  being  sent  off  to  the  west  of  the  Missis- 
sippi. In  laboring  for  this  object,  I  sujffered  very  great  hardship 
and  many  struggles,  but  was  at  last  successful. 

But  in  order  that  my  people  can  enjoy  every  privilege  of  civil- 
ization, they  must  be  thoroughly  educated ;  they  must  become 
acquainted  with  the  arts  and  sciences,  as  well  as  the  white  man. 
Soon  as  the  Indian  youths  receive  an  education,  they  should  be 
allowed  to  have  some  employment  among  the  whites,  in  order  to 
encourage  them  in  the  pursuits  of  civilization  and  to  exercise 


IKD1AN8  OF  MICHIGAN.  ft 

their  ability  according  to  the  means  and  extent  of  their  educa- 
tion, instead  of  being  a  class  of  persons  continually  persecuted 
and  cheated  and  robbed  of  their  little  possessions.  They  should 
have  been  educated  amongst  the  civilized  communities  in  order 
to  learn  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  white  people.  If  this 
method  could  have  been  pursued  in  the  first  instance,  the  aborig- 
ines of  this  country  would  have  secured  all  the  advantages  of 
civilization,  education  and  Christianity.  This  was  my  plan  and 
my  proposition  at  the  council  of  Detroit,  in  the  treaty  of  1855,  as 
there  was  quite  a  large  sum  of  money  set  apart  and  appropriated 
by  the  Government  for  the  education  of  Indian  youth  of  the  Ot- 
tawa and  Chippewa  Indians  of  Michigan,  and  I  made  the  propo- 
sition at  this  council  that  -he  sum  for  that  purpose  be  retained  in 
the  hands  of  the  Government  solely  to  pay  for  the  education  of 
those  Indian  youths  who  should  be  educated  in  a  civilized  com- 
munity, instead  of  committing  this  sum  of  money  to  the  hands 
of  the  preachers  and  teachers  in  the  missions  among  the  Ottawas 
and  Chippewas.  If  my  plan  could  have  been  adopted,  even  as 
late  as  thirty-two  years  ago,  we  should  have  had,  by  this  time, 
many  well-educated  Indians  in  this  State,  and  probably  some 
good  farmers,  and  perhaps  some  noted  professors  of  sciences 
would  have  been  developed,  and  consequently  happiness,  bless- 
ings and  prosperity  would  have  been  everywhere  among  the 
aborigines  of  the  State  of  Michigan. 


100  THE  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 


• 


CHAPTER  XIII.  c 

The  Lamentation  of  the  Overflowing  Heart  of  the  Red  Man  of  the 
Forest. 

Hark  I  What  is  that  I  hear,  ,; 

". ;-  :    ■^■:-  So  mournfully  ringing  in  my  ear,      . "  -  ,       * 

•j^.^^  Like  a  death  song  of  warriors,  ^' 

,;  For  those  who  fell  by  their  brave  sires  ? 

^.  .  ,  .  Is  this  the  wail  now  sounding 

r.  >  For  my  unhappy  future?  •: 

O  my  destiny,  my  destiny!  How  sinks  my  heart,  as  I  behold 
my  inheritance  all  in  ruins  and  desolation.  Yes,  desolation ;  the 
land  the  Great  Spirit  has  given  us  in  which  to  live,  to  roam,  to 
hunt,  and  build  our  council  fires,  is  no  more  to  behold.  "Where 
once  so  many  brave  Algonquins  and  the  daughters  of  the  forest 
danced  with  joy,  danced  with  gratitude  to  the  Great  Spirit  for 
their  homes,  they  are  no  more  seen.  'Our  forests  are  gone,  and 
our  game  is  destroyed.  Hills,  groves  and  dales  once  clad  in  rich 
mantle  of  verdure  are  stripped.  Where  is  this  promised  land 
which  the  Great  Spirit  had  given  to  his  red  children  as  the  per- 
petual inheritance  of  their  posterity  from  generation  to  genera- 
tion ?  Ah,  the  pale-faces  who  have  left  their  fathers'  land,  far 
beyond  the  ocean,  have  now  come  and  dispossessed  us  of  our 
heritage  with  cruel  deceit  and  force  of  arms.  Still  are  they  roll- 
ing on,  and  rolling  on,  like  a  mighty  spray  from  the  deep  ocean, 
overwhelming  the  habitations  of  nature's  children.  Is  it  for  the 
deeds  of  Pocahontas,  of  Massasoit,  of  Logan,  and  hosts  of  others 
who  have  met  and  welcomed  the  white  men  in  their  frail  cabin 
doors  when  they  were  few  in  numbers,  cold  and  hungry? 
Is  it  for  this  that  we  have  been  plundered,  and  expelled  at  the 
point  of  the  bayonet  from  the  hallowed  graves  of  our  brothers 


INDIANS  OF  MICHIGAN.  lOl 

and  sires  ?  O,  my  father,  thou  hast  taught  me  from  my  infancy 
to  love  this  land  of  my  birth ;  thou  hast  even  taught  me  to  say 
that  "  it  is  the  gift  of  tlie  Great  Spirit,"  when  yet  my  beloved 
mother  clasped  me  close  to  her  peaceful  breast  while  she  sang  of 
.  the  warlike  deeds  of  the  great  Algonquins.  O,  my  father,  our 
happiest  days  are  o'er,  and  never  again  shall  we  enjoy  our  forest 
home.  The  eagle's  eye  could  not  even  discover  where  once  stood 
thy  wigwam  and  thy  peaceful  council  fire.  Ah,  once  it  was  the 
happy  land,  and  all  the  charms  were  there  which  made  every  In- 
dian heart  swell  with  thanks  to  the  Great  Spirit  for  their  happy 
homes.  Melodious  music  was  heard  in  every  grove,  sung  by  the 
wild  birds  of  the  forest,  who  mingled  their  notes  sweetly  with, 
the  wild  chant  of  my  beloved  sister  j  at  eve.  They  sang  the  song 
of  lullaby  to  the  pawpose  of  the  red  man  whilst  swinging  in  the 
cradle  from  the  shady  trees,  wafted  gracefully  to  and  fro  by  the 
restless  wind.  The  beautiful  old  basswood  tree  bending  so  grace- 
fully stood  there,  and  the  brown  thrush  sang  with  her  musical 
voice.  That  tree  was  planted  there  by  the  Great  Spirit  for  me  to 
sport  under,  when  I  could  scarcely  bend  my  little  bow.  Ah,  I 
watched  that  tree  from  childhood  to  manhood,  and  it  was  the 
dearest  spot  to  me  in  this  wide  world.  Many  happy  youthful 
days  have  I  spent  under  this  beautiful  shady  tree.  But  alas,  alas, 
the  white  man's  ax  has  been  there !  The  tree  that  my  good  spirit 
had  planted  for  me,  where  once  the  pretty  brown  thrush  daily  sat 
with  her  musical  voice,  is  cut  down  by  the  ruthless  hands  of  the 
white  man.  'Tis  gone ;  gone  forever  and  mingled  with  the  dust. 
Oh,  my  happy  little  bird,  thy  warbling  songs  have  ceased,  and 
thy  voice  shall  never  again  be  heard  on  that  beautiful  shady  tree. 
My  charming  bird,  how  oft  thou  hast  aroused  me  from  my  slum- 
ber at  early  morn  with  thy  melodious  song.  Ah,  could  we  but 
once  more  return  to  our  forest  glade  and  tread  as  formerly  upon 
the  soil  with  proud  and  happy  heart !  On  the  hills  with  bended 
bow,  while  nature's  flowers  bloomed  all  around  the  habitation  of 
nature's  child,  our  brothers  once  abounded,  free  as  the  mountain 


102  THE  OTTAWA  AND  OH IPPEWA 

air,  and  their  glad  shouts  resounded  from  vale  to  vale,  as  they 
chased  o'er  the  hills  the  mountain  roe  and  followed  in  the  otter's 
track.  Oh  return,  return !  Ah,  never  again  shall  this  time  re- 
turn. It  is  gone,  and  gone  forever  like  a  spirit  passed.  The  red 
man  will  never  live  happy  nor  die  happy  here  any  more.  'Tis 
passed,  'tis  done.  The  bow  and  quiver  with  which  I  have  shot 
many  thousands  of  game  is  useless  to  me  now,  for  the  game  is 
destroyed.  When  the  white  man  took  every  foot  of  my  inherit- 
ance, he  thought  to  him  I  should  be  the  slave.  Ah,  never,  never! 
I  would  sooner  plunge  the  dagger  into  my  beating  heart,  and  fol- 
low the  footsteps  of  my  forefathers,  than  be  slave  to  the  w  ^ce 
man.  Macke-te-be-nebsy. 


INDIANS  OF  MICHIOAN.         •  108 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

The  Twenty-one  Precepts  or  Moral  Coram andments  of  the  Ottawa 
and  Chippewa  Indians,  by  Which  They  Were  Governed  in  Their 
Primitive  State,  Before  They  Came  in  Contact  With  White  Races 
in  Their  Country — The  Ten  Commandments,  The  Creed,  and  The 
Lord's  Prayer  in  the  Ottawa  Language  as  Translated  by  the 
Author. 

Ist.  Thou  shalt  fear  the  Great  Creator,  who  is  the  over  ruler 
of  all  things. 

2d.  Thou  shalt  not  commit  any  crime,  either  by  night  or  by 
by  day,  or  in  a  covered  place :  for  the  Great  Spirit  is  looking 
upon  thee  always,  and  thy  crime  shall  be  manifested  in  time,  thou 
knowest  not  when,  which  shall  be  to  thy  disgrace  and  shame. 

3d.  Look  up  to  the  skies  often,  by  day  and  by  night,  and  see 
the  sun,  moon  and  stars  which  shineth  in  the  firmament,  and 
think  that  the  Great  Spirit  is  looking  upon  thee  continually. 

4th.  Thou  shalt  not  mimic  or  mock  the  thunders  of  the  cloud, 
for  they  were  specially  created  to  water  the  earth  and  to  keep 
down  all  the  evil  monsters  that  are  under  the  earth,  which  would 
eat  up  and  devour  the  inhabitants  of  the  eaith  if  they  were  set 
at  liberty. 

6th.  Thou  shalt  not  mimic  or  mock  any  mountains  or  rivers, 
or  any  prominent  formation  of  the  earth,  for  it  is  the  habitation 
of  some  deity  or  spirit  of  the  earth,  and  thy  life  shall  be  con- 
tinually  in  hazard  if  thou  shouldst  provoke  the  anger  of  these 
deities. 

6th.  Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother,  that  thy  days  may  be 
long  upon  the  land. 

7th.  Honor  the  gray-head  persons,  that  thy  head  may  also  be 
like  unto  theirs. 

8th.    Thou  shalt  not  mimic  or  ridicule  the  cripple,  the  lame, 


104  THE  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

or  deformed,  for  thou  shall  he  crippled  thyself  like  unto  them  if 
thou  shouldst  provoke  the  Great  Spirit. 

9th.  Hold  thy  peace,  and  answer  not  hack,  when  thy  father  or 
thy  mother  or  any  aged  person  should  chastise  thee  for  thy 
wrong. 

10th.  Thou  shalt  never  tell  a  falsehood  to  thy  parents,  nor  to 
thy  neighbors,  hut  be  always  upright  in  thy  words  and  in  thy 
dealings  with  thy  neighbors. 

11th.  Thou  shalt  not  steal  anything  from  thy  neighbor,  nor 
covet  anything  that  is  his. 

13th.    Thou  shalt  always  feed  the  hungry  and  the  stranger. 

13th.  Thou  shalt  keep  away  from  licentiousness  and  all  other 
lascivious  habits,  nor  utter  indecent  language  before  thy  neigh- 
bor »  ad  the  stranger. 

14-  .  Thou  shalt  not  commit  murder  while  thou  art  in  dispute 
witV   ny  neighbor,  unless  it  be  whilst  on  the  warpath. 

15th.  Thou  shalt  chastise  thy  children  with  the  rod  whilst 
they  are  in  thy  power. 

16th.  Thou  shalt  disfigure  thy  face  with  charcoals,  and  fast  at 
least  ten  days  or  more  of  each  year,  whilst  thou  are  yet  young,  or 
before  thou  reachest  twenty,  that  thou  mayest  dream  of  thy  fut- 
ure destiny. 

17th.  Thou  shalt  immerse  thy  body  into  the  lake  or  river  at 
least  ten  days  in  succession  in  the  early  part  of  the  spring  of  the 
year,  that  thy  body  may  be  strong  and  swift  of  foot  to  chase  the 
game  and  on  the  warpath. 

18th.  At  certain  times  with  thy  wife  or  thy  daughters,  thou 
shalt  clean  out  thy  fireplaces  and  make  thyself  a  new  fire  with 
thy  fire-sticks  for  the  sake  of  thyself  and  for  the  sake  Of  thy  chil- 
drens'  health. 

19th.  Thou  shalt  not  eat  with  thy  wife  and  daughters  at  such 
time,  of  food  cooked  on  a  new  fire,  but  they  shall  be  provided 
with  a  separate  kettle  and  cook  their  victuals  therein  with  an  old 


INDIANS  OP  MICHIGAN.  105 

fire  and  out  of  their  wigwam,  until  the  time  is  passed,  then  thou 
Shalt  eat  with  them* 

20th.  Thou  shalt  not  be  lazy,  nor  be  a  vagabond  of  the  earth, 
to  be  hated  by  all  men.  , 

21st.    Thou  shalt  be  brave,  and  not  fear  any  death. 

If  thou  shouldst  observe  all  these  commandments,  when  thou 

diest  thy  spirit  shall  go  straightway  to  that  happy  land  where  all 

the  good  spirits  are,  and  shall  there  continually  dance  with  the 

beating  of  the  drum  of  Tchi-baw-yaw-booz,  the  head  spirit  in  the 

spirit  land.    But  if  thou  shouldst  not  observe  them,  thy  spirit 

shall  be  a  vagabond  of  the  earth  always,  and  go  hungry,  and  will 

never  be  able  to  find  this  road,  "  Tchi-bay-kon,"  in  which  all  the 
good  spirits  travel. 

THE  TEN  COMMANDMENTS. 

1st.  Pay-zhe-go  ke-zhe-maw-nito  me-so-de  kay-go  kaw-ge-zhe- 
tod;  ke-gaw-pay-zhe-go  gwaw-nawdji-aw  ane-go-ko-day-a-you  ke- 
gaw-pay-zhe-go  saw-ge-aw. 

2d.    Kaw-we  aw-nesh  ke-zhe-maw-nito  ke-gaw-wo-we  nossi. 

3d.    Au-nwe-be-we-ne-ge-zhe-got  ke-gaw-kwaw-nawdji-ton. 

4th.  Kouss  kanie  ke-gaw-she  ke-gaw-me-naw-tene-mawg  ke- 
nwezh  tchi-we-pe-maw-deze-yan  aw-zhon-daw  aw-king. 

5th.    Ke-go  au-we-yaw  me-saw-wa-ne-maw-gay. 

6th.    Ke-go  nau-nawe  e-nau-de-se-kay. 

7th.    Ke-go  ke-mou-de-kay. 

8th.  Ke-go  kawie  ke-no-wish-ke-kay  tche-baw-taw-maw-de-baw 
au-we-ya. 

9th.  Ke-go  mes-sau-we-naw-mau-we-ye-gay  ke-dji-pe-maw-de-s! 
o  we-de-gay-maw-gaw-non. 

10th.  Ke-go  kauie  au-we-yaw  mes-saw-wendau  mau-we-ye-gay 
ke-go  andaw-nedji. 

THE  CREED.       « 

Men  da-bwe-taw-waw  Pa-zhe-go  maw-nito  we-osse-mind,  me-zo- 
day  ke-go  nay-taw-we-tod,  kaw-ge-zhe-tod  wau-kwee  aw-ke  kauie. 

♦See  Dr.  Bon^inot's  work,  "The  Star  in  the  West,"  pp.  216  and  225. 


106  THE  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

Men  day-bwe-taw-we-mon  knice  ogwisson  paw-ye-zhe-go-nedjln 
Jesus  Krist  te-bay-ne-me-nong.  We-ne-zhe-she-nedjin  maw-nitx)n 
o-ge-aw-nesbe-naw-bay-we-egoun,  Mari-yon  kaw-gaw-ge  we-nedjin 
oge-ne-ge-egoun.  Ke-go-daw-ge-to  me-gwaw  o-ge-maw-wit  Ponce 
Pilartawn,  ke-baw-daw-kaw-ko-wou  tche-baw-yaw-te-gong,  ke-ne- 
bon  ke-naw-gwo-wau  kauie  au-naw-maw-kaw-mig  ke-e-zhaw,  waw- 
ne-so-ke-zbe-te-nig  Ke-au-be-tchi-baw.  Waw-kwing  ke-e-zhaw, 
naw-maw-daw-be  o-day-baw-ne-we-kaw-ning  ke-zle-maw-niton  way- 
Osse  me-medjin  me-zo-day  ke-go  nay  tau-we-to-nedjin  me-dawst 
waw-de-be  ke-be-ondji-bawd,  tche-be-te-baw-ko-nod  pay-maw-de-ze- 
nedjin,  nay-bo-nedjin  kauie.  Men  day-bwe-taw-waw  Way-ne-zhe- 
shed  maw-nito,  men  day-bwe-tawn  kitche-two  kaw-to-lic  au-naw- 
me-a-we-gaw-mig,  kay-tchi-two-wendaw-go-ze-djig  0-we-do-ko-daw- 
de-we-ne-wau  paw-taw-do-wene  kawss-au-maw-gay-win  aw-bedji- 
baw-wln  ezhe-owe-yossing  kaw-go-ne  pe-maw-de-se-win.  Aw-pe- 
inge. 

THE  LORD'S  PRAYEB. 
Nossinaw  wau-kwing  e-be-you  au-pe-gwish  ke-tchi-twaw-wetid- 
oming  ke-daw-no-zo-win,  au-pe-gish  pe-daw-gwe-she-no-maw-gok 
ke-do-gimaw-o-win,  ena-daw-mon  au-pe-gish  ezhe-wa-bawk,  ti-bish- 
wau-kwing  mego  kauie  au-king.  Me-zhe-she-nong  nongo  au-gl- 
zhe-gawk  nin  baw-kwe-zhe-gaw-ne-me-naw  menik  e-you-yong  en- 
daw-so  ke-zhe-gok.  Po-ne-ge-tay-taw-we-shi-nong  kauie  kaw-nish 
ki-e-nange  te-bish-kon  ezhe-pone-ge-day-taw-wou-ge-dwaw  kaw- 
neshke-e-yo-mendjig,  ke-go  kauie  ezhe-we-zhe-she-kong-gay  kaw- 
gwe  ti-bandji-gay-we-ning,  au-tchi-tchaw-yo-ing  dansh  etaw  eni- 
naw-maw-we-she-nong  maw-tchaw-go-e-wish.  Ken  maw-ke-daw- 
yon  o-ge-maw-owen,  mawsh-kaw-we-se-win  kauie  pe-she-gain-daw- 
go-se-win,  kaw-ge-gay-kow-mig  au-pe-nay  dash  kau-e-go  kaw-ge- 
nig.    Amen. 


6BAMMAR. 


107 


OtT^JLJ^l^JLT^ 


— OP  THE — 


OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA  LANGUAGE. 


NOUNS. 

Common  nouns  in  the  Ottawa  and  Chippewa  lantcuf^ge  are  divided 
into  two  clasftes,  animate  and  inanimate.  Animate  nouns  are  those 
which  signify  living  objects  or  objects  supposed  to  have  life,  as 
persons,  animals  and  pl«nt8.  Inanimate  nouns  signify  objects  with- 
out life. 

A  third  form  of  nouns  is  derived  from  these  two  classes,  called 
diminutive  nouns.  These  are  formed  by  the  termination  "ens"  or 
"  ns  "  placed  upon  other  nouns. 

The  plural  of  animate  nouns  is  usually  formed  by  adding  the  sylla- 
ble "wog"  to  the  singular;  if  the  word  ends  in  a  vowel,  only  the  let- 
ter **g"  is  added;  and  sometimes  the  syllables  "yog,"  **ag,"  or  *'og." 

All  words  are  pronounced  with  accent  on  (he  last  syllable. 

Sing.  PI.  Eng. 

Pe-nay,  Pe-nay-wog,  Partridge. 

Aw-dje-djawk,  Aw-dje-djaw-wog,  Crane. 

Waw-mawsh-kay-she,        Waw-mawsh-kay-she-wog,       Deer. 

Waw-goosh-og,  Fox. 

Pezhe-kee-wog,  Cattle. 

Pezhe-keens-og,  Calf. 

Aw-ni-moush-og,  Dog- 

Aw-ni-mouos-og,  Puppy. 


Waw-goosh, 
Peihe-kee, 
Pezhe-keens,  (dim.), 
Aw-ni-mousb, 
Aw-ni-mouns,  (dim.), 


106 


OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 


The  plural  of  inanimate  nouns  usually  terminates  in  an,  en,  on,  orn. 


Sing. 

We-ok-won, 

Wig-worn, 

Mo-ke-sin, 

Maw-kok, 

Maw-kok-ons,  (dim.), 

Tchi-mawn, 

Tclii-inaw-nes,  (dim.), 


PI. 


Eng. 

Hat. 

House. 

Slice. 

Box. 

Small  box. 

Boat. 

Small  boat. 


We-ok-^  on-an, 

Wig-wom-an, 

Mo-ke-sin-an, 

Maw-kok-on, 

Maw-kok-on-son, 

Tchi-mawn-an, 

Tchi  maw-nes-on. 

Nouns  have  three  eases,  nominative,  locative  and  objective.  The 
locative  case  denotes  the  relation  usually  expressed  in  English  by  the 
use  of  a  preposition,  or  by  the  genitive,  dative  and  ablative  in  Latin. 

Nom.    Aw-kick,  Kettle. 

Loc.      Aw-kick-ong,  In  the  kettle. 

E-naw-bin  aw-kick-ong.      Do  look  in  the  kettle. 

This  relation  can  be  expressed  by  the  word  "pin-je,"  as  "Pin-je  aw- 
kick," — in  the  kettl*;  *'E-naw-bin  pin-je  aw-kick," — do  look  in  the 
kettle;  but  this  form  is  seldom  used.  It  is  employed  only  for  great 
emphasis  or  formality. 

The  locative  termination  is  "ong,"  "eng,"  or  "ing." 

The  objective  cafe  is  like  the  nominative  when  the  subject  is  in  the 
1st  or  2d  person,  but  when  the  subject  is  in  the  3d  person  the  object 
takes  the  termination  "won." 

Example  of  loeative  and  objective  cases.  Chicago  is  derived  from 
she-gog-ong,  the  locative  case  of  the  Ottawa  word  she-gog,  meaning 
skunk;  nominative,  she-gog;  locative,  she-gog-ong;  objective,  she- 
gog  or  she-gog-won. 


Locative  case — 

She-gog-ong  ne-de-zhaw, 
She-gog-ong  ne-do-je-baw, 
She-gog-ong  e-zhawn, 

Objective  case — 

1st  p. — She-gog  ne-ne-saw, 
2d  p. — She-gog  ke-ne-saw, 


I  am  going  to  Chicago. 
I  come  from  Chicago. 
Go  to  Chicago. 

I  kill  the  skunk. 
You  kill  the  skunk. 


3d  p. — She-gog-won  one-sawn,  He  kills  the  skunk. 


GRAMMAR.  109 

Gender  is  distinguished  by  the  word  "  quay,"  either  prefixed  or 
added  to  nouns,  to  indicate  the  feminine. 

Aw-ne-ne,  pi.  wog;  Man.  Aw-quay^  pi.  wog;  Woman. 

Aw-nish-naw-bay ;  Indian  man.  Aw-nesh-naw-bay-quay ;  I.  woman. 

Osh-kee-naw-way;  Young  man.  Osh-kee-ne-ge-quay;  Y.  woman. 

Que-we-zayns,  pi.  og;  Boy.  Quay-zayns,  pi.  og;  frirl. 

Aw-yaw-bay-pe-zhe-kee;  Bull.  Quay-pe-zhe-kee ;  Cow. 

Proper  names  always  form  the  feminine  by  adding  *'  quay." 
Ce-naw-day;  Irishman.  Ce-naw-day-quay ;  Irishwoman. 

Some  genders  are  irregular. 

Aw-ke-wa-zee;  Old  man.  Me-de-mo-gay;  Old  woman. 

Aw-be-non-tchi,  an  infant,  has  no  distinction  of  gender. 
Os-see-maw,  pi.  g;  Father.  0-gaw-shi-maw,  pi.  g;  Mother. 

Me-kaw-ne-see-maw;  Brother.        O-me-say-e-maw;  Sister. 
O-me-shaw-mes-se-maw; Gr.father.Okee-mes-se-maw;  Grandmother. 
O-me-shaw-way-e-maw;  Uncle.        O-nou-shay-e-maw;  Aunt. 
We-taw-wis-see-maw;  Male  cousin.  We-ne-mo-shay-e-maw;  Fem.couB. 

Diminutive  nouns  take  tbe  same  modifications  aa  the  nouns  from 
which  they  are  derived. 

Verbs  and  adjectives  are  modified  to  agree  with  the  animate  or  in- 
animate nouns  to  which  they  belong,  as  will  be  illustrated  hereafter. 

PRONOUNS. 

Personal  pronouns  have  no  distinction  of  gender  in  the  third  per- 
son singular.  A  peculiarity  of  this  language  is  the  two  forms  for  the 
first  person  plural.  These  two  forms  for  pronouns,  and  for  verbs  in 
all  moods  and  tenses,  are  like  each  other  except  in  the  first  syllable. 
In  one  form  the  first  syllable  is  always  *'  Ke,"  and  in  the  other  **Ne." 
The  form  commencing  with  Ke  is  used  only  when  speaking  to  one 
person,  and  that  commencing  with  Ne,  which  might  be  called  the 
multiple  form,  is  used  whenever  more  than  one  person  is  addressed, 
even  though  no  word  may  appear  in  the  sentence  indicating  how 
many.  This  is  an  idiosyncracy  which  perhaps  would  never  have  been 
developed,  certainly  would  not  be  perpetuated,  in  any  except  an  un- 
written language.    It  is  of  no  effect  except  in   a  language  always 


110  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

colloquial.  The  multiple  form  will  be  given  in  this  grammar  as 
the  first  person  plural,  and,  whether  indicated  or  not,  the  other  may 
be  understood  as  being  the  same  with  the  change  of  the  first  syllable 
from  Ne  to  Ke. 

PERSONAL  PRONOUNS. 
Sing.  PL 

1st  n  — Neen  or  nin     I  J  Ne-naw-wind,  (mult.).  We. 

istp.— JNeenornin,    i,  J  Ke-naw-wind,  We. 

2d  p. — Keen  or  kin,    Thou  or  you,   Ke-naw-waw,  You. 

3d  p- — Ween  or  win,  He  or  she,        We-naw-waw,  They. 

When  these  personal  pronouns  are  connected  with  other  words,  or 
when  they  become  subjects  or  objects  of  verbs,  the  first  syllable  only 
is  used  or  pronounced.  In  the  third  person  of  verbs  the  pronoun  is 
entirely  omitted. 

Sing.  PL 

Ne  wob,         I  see,  Ne  wob-me.  We  see. 

Ke  wob.         You  see.  .        Ke  wob-em,  You  see. 

Wo-be,  He  or  she  sees,  Wo-be-wog,  They  see. 

The  whole  pronoun  is  sometimes  used  when  the  emphatic  or  in- 
tensive form  is  desired,  as, 

Sing. — Neen-ne  wob,    I  myself  see. 

Keen-ke  wob,    You  yourself  see. 

Ween  wo-be,     He  himself,  or  she  herself  sees. 

PI. — Ne-naw-wind  ne-wob-me,  We  ourselves  see. 

Ke-naw-waw  ke-wob-em,,  You  yourself  see. 

We-naw-waw  wo-l>e-wog»  They  themselves  see 

POSSESSIVE  PRONOUNS. 

Ne-daw-yo-em,  Mine ;  Ne-daw-yo-em-e-naw,  Ours. 

Ke-daw-yo-em,  Thine,  Ke-daw-yo-em-e-waw,  Yours. 

O-daw-yo-em,    His  or  hers,     0-daw-yo-em-e-waw,  Theirs. 

Emphatic  form — nin  ne-daw-yo-em,  etc.,  throughout  all  the  differ- 
ent persons.    When  these  possessive  pr(Miouns  are  used  with  noune, 


GRAMMAR.  IJl 

nearly  all  the  syllables  are  omitted,  except  the  first,  which  is  added  to 
the  noun  in  the  plural;  as — 

Sing.  PI. 

Ne  we-ok-won,    My  hat»  Ne  we-ok-won-e-naw.     Our  hat, 

Ke  we-ok-won,    Your  hat,        Ke  we-ok-won-e-waw,    Your  hat. 
O  we  ok-won,      His  hat,  O  we-ok-won-e-waw,      Their  hat. 

The  emphatic  form,  "my  own  hat,"  is  made  by  prefixing  the  per- 
sonal pronouns,  as — 

Sing.  PI. 

Neen  ne  we-ok-won,  Ne-naw-wind  ne  we-ok-won-e-naw, 

Keen  ke  we-ok-won,  Ke-naw-waw  ke  we-ok-won-e-waw» 

Ween  o  we-ok-won,  We-naw-waw  o  we-ok-won-e-waw. 

THE  IMPERSONAL  PRONOUN. 

The  impersonal  pronoun  "  maw-got,"  plural  •*  maw-got-on,"  may  be 
represented  by  the  English  impersonal  or  neuter  pronoun  it,  but  it 
has  a  wider  significance.  The  inanimate  subject  of  a  verb  is  also 
represented  by  maw-got  or  maw-got-on.  Wa-po-tchin-ga  maw-got, 
or  wa-po-tchin-ga-sa  maw-got,  it  strikes;  plural,  wa-po-tchin-ga  maw- 
got-on,  or  wa-po-tchin-ga-sa  maw-got-on,  they  strike. 

Au-no-ke  maw-got,  It  works.  Pe-rae-say  maw-got.  It  walks. 

Nc-bo-we  maw-got,  It  stands.  Wo-be  maw-got.  It  sees. 

Pe-rae-baw-to  maw-got,  It  runs. 

Au-nish,  interrogative  pronoun  what;  au-naw-tchi,  relative  pro- 
noun what;  e-we,  relative  pronoun  that. 

ADJECTIVES. 

Adjectives  take  two  forms,  to  agree  with  the  animate  or  inanimate 
nouns  to  which  they  belong. 

Comparison  of  adjectives  is  made  by  other  words:  0-ne-zhe-she 
(inanimate  o-ne-zhe-shin),  good;  Maw-maw-me  (or  ne-go-ne)  o-ne- 
zhe  (or  -shin),  better;  Au-pe-tchi  o-ne-zhe-she  (or -shin),  best.  A 
fourth  degree  is  sometimes  used:  Maw-mo-me  o-ne-zhe-she  (or -shin), 
very  best. 

The  words  **  Me-no  "  and  **  Maw-tchi"  or  *  •  Mau-tchi,' '  do  not  change 
when  used  with  other  words,  and  they  are  the  most  common  adjectives 
in  the  Ottawa  and  Chippewa  languages;  they  are  used  as  adverbs,  as 
well  as  adjectives. 


112  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA  -       * 

"Me-no,"  is  equivalent  to  good,  right,  and  well;  and  "  Mau-tchi," 
is  equivalenttobad,  wicked,  evil;  asMe-noau-ne.ne,  goodman;  Me-no 
au-quay,  good  woman;  Me-no  au-way-sin,  good  animal;  Me-no  au-ky, 
good  land;  Me-no  waw-bo-yon,  good  blanket;  Me-no  e-zhe-wa-be-sy, 
good  behavior,  or  kind;  Me-no  au-no-ky,  he  works  well,  or  doing  good 
business;  Me-no  pe-maw-de-sy,  he  is  well;  Me-no  au-yaw,  he  is  get- 
ting well,  or  convalescent  from  sickness;  Me-no  au-no-kaw-so-win, 
good  utensil,  or  handy  instrument;  Me-no  wau-gaw-quat,  good  ax; 
Me-no  ke-zhi-gut,  good  day,  or  pleasant  weather;  Me-no  au-no-kaw- 
tchi-gon,  good  goods,  or  nice  goods;  Me-no  e-zhe-wa-be-sy,  he  or  she 
is  kind  or  good;  Me-no  maw-tchaw  maw-got,  it  goes  well,  etc. 

The  word  "  Mau-tchi"  is  equally  useful;  as,  Mau-tchi  au-ne-ne,  bad 
man;  Mau-tchi  au-quay,  bad  woman;  Mau-tchi  e-zhe-wa-be-sy,  bad 
behavior,  or  wicked  person ;  Mau-tchi  mau-ne-to,  evil  spirit,  or  the 
devil;  Mau-tchi  ke-ge-to,  wicked  language,  or  profanity;  Mau-tchi 
wau-gaw-quat,  bad  ax;  Mau-tchi  ke-zhwa,  vulgar  speaker;  Mau-tchi 
no-din,  bad  wind;  Mau-tchi  au-naw-quot,  bad  cloud ;  Mau-tchi  ke-zhe- 
got,  bad  day,  or  rough  weather;  Mau-tchi  wig-wom,  bad  house,  or 
wicked  house;    Mau-tchi  au-no-ke-win,  bad  business,  etc. 

Another  adjective  equally  comprehensive  is  Kwaw-notch:  Kwaw- 
notch  au-ne-ne,  well-behaved  man ;  Kwaw-notch  au-quay,  pretty  wom- 
an; Kwaw-notch  au-no-ke-win,  good  business;  Kwaw-notch  au-no- 
kaw-tchi-gon,  nice  goods;  Kwaw-notchi-won,  pretty  or  nice  (inani- 
mate); Kwaw-notchi-we, pretty  (animate);  Au-pe-tchi  kwaw-notchi- 
we  au-quay,  very  pretty  woman. 

The  following  illustrate  the  changes  of  form  in  adjectives  for  ani- 
mate and  inanimate: 

Animate.  Inanimate. 

Me-no-e-zhe-wa-be-sy,  Me-no-e-zhe-wa-bawt,  Kind,  mild. 

Ke-no-sy,  Ke-nwa,  Long,  tall. 

Ke-zhe-we-sy,  Ke-zhe-waw,  Hard. 

Mush-kaw-we-sy,  Mush-kaw-waw,  Strong. 

Ke-zlie-kaw,  or  ke-zhe-be-so,  Ke-zhe-be-ta,  Swift,  fleet. 

Ko-se-gwan-ny,  Ko-se-gwan,  Heavy. 

Maw-tchi-e-zhe-wa-be-sy,  Maw-tchi-e-zhe-wa-bot,  Bad. 

Ma-tchaw-yaw-au-wish,  Ma-tchaw-yaw-e-wish,  Wicked. 


GRAMMAR. 

118 

We-8aw-ge-8y, 

We-saw-gun, 

Bitter. 

Wish-ko-be-sy, 

Wish-ko-bun, 

Sweet. 

Sou-ge-sy, 

Sou-gun, 

Tough. 

Se-we-sy, 

Se-won, 

Sour. 

Maw-kaw-te-we-sy, 

M  aw-kaw-te-waw. 

Black. 

Ozaw-we-sy, 

Ozaw-waw, 

Yellow. 

Ozhaw-wash-ko-sy, 

Ozhaw-wash-kwaw, 

Green. 

Mis-ko-sy, 

Mis-kwa, 

Red. 

We-bin-go-sy, 

We-bin-gwaw, 

Blue. 

0-zaw  won-so, 

0-zaw  won-day^ 

Yellow  color. 

Maw-kaw-te  won-so, 

Maw-kaw-te  won-day. 

Black  color. 

Maw-kaw-te  au-ne-ne. 

,  black  man.  Maw-kaw-te  mo- 

kok,  black  box. 

Mis-ko  au-ne-ne,  red 

man.              Mis-ko  wau-bo-yon,  red  blanket. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  last  one  or  two  syllables  of  the  adjective 
are  dropped  when  in  connection  with  a  noun. 


VERBS. 

Ottawa  and  Chippewa  verbs  are  changed  in  their  conjugations,  to 
indicate — 

1st.  Whether  their  subjects  are  animate,  or  inanimate; 

2d.  Whether  their  objects  are  animate,  or  inanimate; 

3d.  Whether  they  are  transitive,  or  intransitive; 

4th.  Whether  they  are  active,  or  passive,  or  reflective; 

5th.  Whether  the  expression  is  common,  or  emphatic. 

They  also  express  by  their  forms  all  of  the  distinctions  of  mood  and 
tense,  person  and  number^  found  in  the  English,  and  form  their  par- 
ciples,  and  are  changed  into  verbal  or  participial  nouns;  and  these 
modifications  are  for  the  most  part  regular  in  form. 

I.  Verbs  with  inanimate  subjects  correspond  to  English  imperson- 
al or  neuter  verbs,  but  are  much  more  extensively  used.  They  are 
usually  formed  by  adding  the  impersonal  pronoun,  maw-got— it;  as, 

Animate  Subject.  Inanimate  Subject. 

Sing.Au-noukee,  he  works.  Au-nou-ke-maw-got,  it  works. 

Ee-au-nou-ke,  he  worked.     Ke-au-nou-ke-maw-got,  it  worked. 


114  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

Plu.  Au-nou-ke-wog,  they  work.  Au-nou-ke-maw-go-toun,  things  irrk 
Ke-au-nou-ke-wog,  *'  wrk'd.  Ke-au-nou-ke-maw-go-toun,"  wrkd. 

Standing  trees,  as  well  as  all  living  creatures  and  personified  things, 
are  regarded  as  animate. 

II,  III.  The  distinctions  for  animate  and  inanimate  objects,  and  for 
transitive  and  intransitive,  are  illustrated  by  the  following: 

Singular — I  kill,  Thou  killest,  etc. 
Intransitive.  Transitive. 

Pers.  Afrtimdte  Object.  Inanimate  Object. 

1  Ne-ne-taw-gay     '      Ne-ne-saw  Ne-ne-ton 

2  Ke-ne-taw-gay  K^e-ne-saW  Ke-ne-toun 

3  N«-taW-gay  0-ne-sawn,  or  son         O-ne-toun 

Plural— Wc  kill,  You  kill,  etc. 

1  lie-tife-taw-gay-me      Ne-ne-saw-naw  Ke-ne-tou-HaW 

2  Ke-ne-taw-gaym        Ke-ne-saw-waw  Ke-ne-tou-naw-waw 

3  Ne-taw-gay-wog        O-ne-saw-wawnorwonO-ne-tou-naw-waw 

Singular — I  see,  Thou  seest,  etc. 

1  Ne-waub         Ne-waub-maw  Ne-waub  don,  or  dawn 

2  Ke-waub         Ke-waub-maw  Ke-waub-don        " 
8  Wau-be           O-waub-mon,  or  mawn  0-waub-dt)n         " 

Plural — We  see,  You  see,  etc. 

1  Ne-waub-me   Ne-waub-maw-naw       Ne-waub-daw-naw 
*i  Ke-wau-bem    Ke-waub-maw-waw      Ke-waub-daw-naw-wan 

3  Wau-be-wog    0-waub-naw-won  0-waub-daw-naw-wan 

IV.  What  is  denominated  the  reflective  forjm  of  the  verb,  is  where 
the  subject  and  the  object  are  the  same  person  or  thing;  as,  in  'Eng- 
llBh,  He  hates  hiriiseli.  The  passive  and  tefleetive  forms  are  lllustrat- 
fed  in  the  vei*b,  To  liee,  thus: 

Passive.  Reflective. 

Ne-wob-me-go,  I  am  seen.        Ne-wau-baw-dis,  I  see  myself. 
K^-Wob-ttie-go,  thott  art  seen.  Ke-WAU-baw-dls,  thou  se^st  thyself. 
Wob-maw,  he  is  seen.  Wau-baw-de-so,  he  sees  himself. 

I^e-wob-me-go-me,  we  are  seen.  Ke-Wau-baw-de-so-me,  we  s.  ourslvs. 
Ke-wob-me-gom,  you  are  seen.  Ke-wau-baw-de-som,  you  s.  yourslvs 
Wob-maw-wag,  they  are  seen.  Wau-baw-de-so-wag,  they  s.  thmslvs 


GRAMMAR.  115 

v.  The  emphatic  form  repeats  the  first  part  of  the  pronoun;  as, 
Ne-waub,  I  see;  Nin-ne-waub,  I  do  see  (literally,  I  myself  see). 

Intransitive. 
Common  Form — I  eat,  etc.  Emphatic  Form — I  do  eat,  etc. 

1  Ne-we-sin  Nin-ne-we-sin 

2  Ke-we-sin  Kin-ke-we-sin 

3  We-se-ne  Win-we-we-sin 

Transitive — Animate  Object. 

1  Ne-daw-mwaw  Nin-ne-daw-mwaw 

8  Ke-daw-mwaw  Kin-ke-daw-mwaw 

3  0-daw-mwaw  Win-o-daw-mwaw 

Transitive — Inanimate  Object. 

1  ^6-me-djiti  Nin-ne-me-djin 

2  Keme-djin  Kin-ke-me-djin 

3  O-me-djin  Win-o-me-djin 

The  object  is  frequently  placed  before  the  verb — always  when  in  an- 
swer to  a  questiou.  Thus,  the  answer  to  the  question,  What  is  he 
eating?  would  be,  Ke-goon-yan  o-daw-mwawn — Fish  he  is  eating. 

Nouns  are  formed  from  verbs  by  adding  "  win";  as,  waub,  to  see, 
wau-be-win,  sight;  paw-pe,  to  laugh,  pa w-pe- win,  laughter;  au-no-ke, 
to  work,  au-no-ke-win,  labor. 

Note. — A  verb  stisceptible  of  both  the  transitive  and  intransitive  office,  and 
of  both  animate  and  inanimate  subjects,  as,  for  instance,  the  verb  To  Blow,  may 
have  no  less  than  fifteen  forms  for  the  indicative  present  third  person  singu- 
lar. The  intransitive  may  be  both  animate  and  inanimate  as  to  subject,  and  the 
former  both  common  and  emphatic;  the  transitive  would  have  the  same,  mult»- 
plied  by  animate  and  inanimate  objects;  and  the  passive  and  reflective  would 
each  have  inanimate,  and  common  and  emphatic  animate — fifteen.  Double  these 
for  the  plural,  and  we  have  thirty  forms;  and  that  multiplied  by  the  sixteen 
tenses  of  the  indicative,  potential  and  subjunctive  moods  g^ves  480  forms  of  third 
person.  The  first  and  second  persons  have  the  same,  minus  the  inanimate  sub- 
ject, or  20  each  for  each  tense,  making  640  more,  or  iiao  all  together  in  those 
three  moods.  The  imperative  singular  and  phiral,  and  the  infinitive  present  and 
past,  and  the  participles,  add  15.  Then  there  is  the  additional  form  for  "^he  first 
f>€)rson  plural,  treated  under  "Pronouns,"  running  through  all  the  sixteen 
tenses,  common  and  emphatic,  animate  and  inanimate  and  intransitive,  96  more 
— making  the  astonishing  number  of  1341  forms  ot  a  single  verb  ! — [Editor. 


116  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

Conjugation  of  the  Verb  To  Be. 

Indicative  Mood. 
Pers.        Singular.        Present  Tense— I  am,  etc.        Plural. 

1  Ne-daw-yaw  Ne-daw-yaw-me 

2  Ke-daw-yaw  Ke-daw-yaw-me 

3  Aw-yaw  Aw-yaw-waug  or  wog 

Imperfect  Tense — I  was,  etc. 

1  Ne-ge-au-yaw  Ne-ge-au-yaw-me 

2  Ke-ge-au-yaw  Ke-ge-au-yawm 

3  Ke-au-yaw  Ke-auyaw-wog 

Perfect  Tense — I  have  been,  etc. 

1  Au-zhe-gwaw  ne-ge-au-yaw      Au-ahe-gwaw  ne-ge-au-yaw-me 

2  Au-zhe-gvvaw  ke-ge-au-yaw      Au-zhe-gwaw  ke-ge-au-yawm 

3  Au-zhe-gwaw  ke-au-yaw  Au-zhe-gwaw  ke-au-yaw-wog 

Pluperfect  Tense — I  had  been,  etc. 

1  Ne-ge-au-yaw-naw-baw  Ne-ge-au-me-naw-baw 

3  Ke-ge-au-yaw-naw-baw  Ke-ge-au-me-naw-baw 

3  Ke-au-yaw-baw  Ke-au-yaw-baw-neg 

Future  Tense — I  shall  or  will  be,  etc. 

1  Ne-gaw-au-yaw  Ne-gaw-au-yaw-me 

2  Ke-gaw-au-yaw  Ke-gaw-au-yawm 

3  Taw-au-yaw  Taw-au-yaw-wa^ 

Potential  Mood. 
Present  Tense — I  may  or  can  be,  etc. 

1  Ko-maw  ne-taw-au-yaw  Ko-maw  ne-taw-au-yaw-me 

2  Ko-maw  ke-taw-au-yaw  Ko-maw  ke-taw-au-yawm 

3  Ko-maw  tau-yaw  Ko-maw  taw-au-yo-wog 

Imperfect  Tense — I  might  be,  etc. 

1  Ko-maw  ne-ge-au-yaw      Ko-maw  ne-ge-au-yaw-me 

2  Ko-maw  ke-ge-au-yaw      Ko-maw  ke-ge-au-yom 

3  Ko-maw  ke-au-yaw        Ko-maw  ke-au-yaw-wog 

Perfect  Tense — I  may  have  been,  etc. 

1  Au-zhe-gwau  ne-tau-ga-au-yaw  Au-zhe-gwau  ne-tau-ge-au-yaw-me 

2  Au-zhe-gwau  ke-tau-ge-au-yaw  Au-zhe-gwau  ke-tau-ge-au-yawm 

3  Au-zhe-gwau  tau-ge-au-yaw      Au-zhe-gwau  tau-ge-au-yaw-og 


GRAMMAR.  IIT 

Pluperfect  Tense — I  mij^ht  have  been,  etc. 

1  Ko-maw  au-yaw-yom-baw    Ko  maw  au-yaw-wong-ge-baw 

2  Ko-maw  ke-au-yaw-yom-baw  Ko-maw  au-yaw-ye-go-baw 

8  Ko-maw  au-yaw-go-baw-nay  Ko-maw  au-yaw-wo-go-baw-nay 

Subjunctive  Mood. 
Present  Tense — If  I  be,  etc. 

1  Tchish-pin  au-yaw-yaw  Tchisli-pin  au-yaw-wong 

2  Tcbish-pin  au-yaw-yon  Tchisb-pin  au-yaw-yeg 

3  Tcbish-pin  au-yawd  Tcliisb-pin  au-yaw-wod 

Imperfect  Tense — If  I  were,  etc. 

1  Tcbish-pin  ke-au-yaw-yaw        Tcbish-pin  ke-au-yaw-wong 

2  Tchish-pin  ke-au-yaw-yon        Tcbish-pin  ke-aii-yaw-yeg 

3  Tchish-pin  ke-au-yawd  Tcliish-pin  ke-au-yaw-wod 

Perfect  Tense — If  I  have  been,  etc. 

1  Tchish-pin  au-zbe-gaw  ke-au-yaw-yaw 

2  Tchish-pin  au-zbe-gaw  ke-au-yaw-yon 

3  Teh isli-pin  au-zhe-gwa  ke-au-yawd  ,     r 

Tcliisb-pin  au-zhe-gwa  ke-aw-yaw-wog 
Tchisb-pin  au-zhe-gwa  ke-a"u-yaw-yeg 
Tchish-pin  au-zhe-gwa  ke-au-yaw-wod 

[The  syllable  "gwa"  is  often  omitted,  merely  saying,  "au-zhe."]  , 

Pluperfect  Tense — If  I  had  been,  etc.  ^  ' 

1  Au-zhe  ke-au-yaw-yaw-baw      Au-zhe  ke-au-yaw-wong-o-baw 

2  Au-zhe  ke-au-yaw-yawm-baw  Au-zhe  ke-au-yaw-ye-go-baw 

3  Au-zhe  ke-au-yaw-paw  Au-zhe  ke-au-yaw-wau-paw 

Future  Tense — If  I  shall  or  will  be,  etc. 

1  Tchish-pin  we-au-yaw-yaw      Tchish-pin  we-au-yaw-wong 

2  Tchish-pin  we-au-yaw-yon        Tchish-pin  we-au-yaw-yeg 

3  Tchish-pin  we-au-yawd  Tchish-pin  we-au-yaw-wod 

Imperative  Mood — Be  thou,  Do  you  be. 

2  Au-yawm  Au-yawg 

Infinitive  Mood— To  be,  To  have  been. 

Present — Tchi-au-yong  Perfect — Au-zhe  tchi-ke-au-yong 

Participles — Being,  Been,  Having  been. 

Au-zhaw-yong      Tchi-ge-au-yong     Au-zhe-gwaw  tchi-ge-au-yong 


118  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

Synopsu  of  the  Verb  To  See. 
I  see,  Ne-wob.  I  saw,      Ne-ge-wob. 

I  have  seen,  Au-zhe-gwaw  ne-ge-wob.  I  had  s'n,  Ne-ge-wob-naw-baw 
I  shall  see,  Ne-gaw-wob.  I  shall  have  seen,  Au-zhe-ge-wob. 

I  may  see,   Ko-maw  ne-taw-wob.  I  might  see,  Ko-maw  ne-ge-wob. 
I  may  have  seen,       Au-zhe-gwaw  ne-taw-ge-wob. 
I  might  have  seen,    Ko-maw  wob-yawm-baw. 
If  I  see,  Tchish-pin  wob-yon.  If  I  saw,  Tehish-pin  ke-wob-yon-baw. 
If  I  have  seen,  Tchish-pin  au-zhe-gwa  wob-yon. 

If  I  had  seen,  Tchish-pin  ke-wob  yon-baw. 

If  I  shall  see,  Tchish-pin  we-wob-yon. 

If  I  shall  have  seen,  Tchish-pin  we-wob-yon-baw. 
See  thou,      Wob-ben.  To  see,  Tchi-wob-bing. 

Tohaveseen,Tchi-ge-wob-bing.      Seeing,  Au-wob-bing. 

Having  seen,  Au-zhe-gwaw  ^uge-wob-bing. 

Having  been  seen,     Au-ge-wob-bing-e-baw. 
I  am  seen,     Ne-wob-me-go.  I  was  seen,    Ne-ge-wob-me-go. 

I  have  been  seen,  Au-zhe  ne-ge-wob-me-go. 

I  had  been  seen,  Ne-ge-wob-me^go-naw-baw. 

I  shall  be  seen,  Ne-gaw-wob-me-go. 

I  shall  h  ave  been  seea,      She-gwa-we-wob-me-go-yon. 
I  may  be  seen,  Ko-maw  wob-me-go-yon. 

I  might  be  seen,  Ko^maw  ke-wob-me-go-yon. 

I  may  have  been  seen,    Ko-maw  au-zhe  ke-wob-me-go-yon. 
I  might  have  been  seen,  Ko-maw  au-zhe  ke-wob-me-go-yon-baw. 
If  I  be  seen,  Tchish-pin  wob-em-go-yon. 

If  I  have  been  seen,         Tchish-pin  au-zhe  ke-wob-me-go-yon. 
If  I  had  been  seen,  Tchish-pin  ke-wob-me-go-yon-baw. 

If  I  shall  bo  seen.  Tchish-pin  we- wob-me-go-yon. 

If  I  shall  have  been  seen,  Tchish-pin  she-gwa-we-wob-me-go-yon. 
I  see  myself,  Ne-wau-baw-dis.    I  saw  myself,  Ne-ge-wau-baw-dis. 
I  shall  see  myself,  Ne-gaw-wau-baw-dis.  -.^ 

I  may  see  myself,  Ko-maw  ne-daw-wau-baw-dis. 

See  thyself,  Wau-baw-de-son.  To  see  thyself,  Tchi-wob-on-di-song. 


GRAMMAB.  119 

MINOR  PARTS  OF  SPEECH. 

Adverbs:  When,  au-pe,  au-ne-nish;  where,  au-ue-pe,  au-ne-zfeaw; 
there,  e-wo-te,  au-zhe-we.  [The  aignificance  of  the  double  forms  is 
not  clear;  and  comparison,  as  with  Adjectives,  seems  to  be  by  differ- 
ent words. — Ed.] 

Prepositions  are  few,  and  are  oftener  embraced  in  the  form  of  the 
verb,  as  in  the  Latin.  The  most  important  are,  pin-je,  in;  tchish-pin, 
or  kish-pin,  if.  Po-taw-wen  pin-je  ke-zhap  ke-ze-gun,  make  some  lire 
in  the  stove;  Tchish-pin  maw-tchawt,  if  he  go  away.  Or  the  same 
maybe  expressed,  Po-taw-wen  ke-zhap  ke-ze-gun-ing  ('4ng"  forming 
locative  caae,  with  the  preposition  implied);  and,  Maw-yaw-tchaw- 
gwen  (the  latter  form  of  verb  expressing  subjunctive  mood).  The 
employment  of  the  proposition  makes  th^  expression  more  emphatic. 

The  most  important  Conjunctions  are,  haw-yea,  gaw-ya,  ka-ie,  and; 
and  ke-maw,  or.  [Three  forms  of  "  and  "  doubtless  due  to  imperfect 
orthography.] 

Interjections  embrace,  yaw!  exclamation  of  danger;  au-to-yo!  sur- 
prise;  a-te-way!  disappointment;  taw -wot-to!  disgust;  ke-yo-o!  dis- 
gust (used  only  by  females). 

There  is  no  Article;  but  the  words,  mondaw,  that,  and  maw-baw, 
this,  are  often  used  before  nouns  as  specifying  terms,  aiUd  ^re  always 
emphatic    E-we  is  common  for  that,  directed  to  things  at  a  distance. 

A  peculiarity,  of  uncertain  significance,  is  the  termination,  sh,  or 
esh,  employed  in  cpnnection  with  the  possessive  case.    It  does  not 
change  the  interpretation,  and  is  perhaps  an  expression  of  familiar- 
ity,  or  intimate  relationship.    Illustration: 
Ne-gwias,  my  son ;  Ne-gwiss-esh,  my  son. 

Ne-daw-ni»8,  my  daughter ;  Ne-daw-niss-eah,  my  daughter. 

Ne-dib,  my  head ;  Ne-dib-awah,  my  he^. 

Ne-wau-bo-yon,  my  blanket ;        Ne-wau  bo-yon-esh,  my  blanket, 
Ne-gwiss-og,  my  sons ;  Ne-gwiss-es-shog,  my  sons. 

Ne-daw-niss-pg,  my  daughters ;  Ne-daw-niss-es-shpg,  my  da'ght'ra. 


ISO 


OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 


One, 

Two, 

Three, 

Four, 

Five, 

Six, 

Seven, 

Eight, 

Nine, 


VOCABULARIES. 

Pa-zhig.  Ten,  Me-toss-we. 

Nezh.  Twenty,  Nezh-to-naw. 

Ness-we.  Thirty,  Ne-se-me-to-naw. 

Ne-win.  Forty,  Ne-me-to-naw. 

Naw-non.  Fifty,  Naw-ne-me-to-naw. 


Ne-go-two8-we.    Sixty,       Ne-go-twa-se  me-to-naw. 
Nezh-was-we.       Seventy,  Nezh-wo-se-me-to-naw. 
Nish-shwas-we.    Eiglity,    Nish-wo-se-me-to-naw. 
Shong-swe.  Ninety,    Shong-gaw-se-me  to-naw. 

One  hundred,  Go-twolt. 

Father,     Os-se-maw,  pi.  g.  Mother,       0-gaw-shi-maw,  pl.g. 

Brother,    We-kaw-ne-8e-maw.     Sister,  0-me-say-e-maw. 

Gr'father,0-me-shaw-mes-e-maw.  Gr'mother,  O-ko-mes-se-maw. 
Cou8in,m.We-taw-wi8-e-maw.      Cou8in,fm.,We-ne-mo-shay-emaw 
Uncle,       O-me-shaw-may-e-mawAunt,  O-nou-shay-e-maw. 

Boy,  Que-we-zayns,  pi.  og.  Girl,  Quay-zayn8,  pi.  og. 

Man,         Au-ne-ne,  pi.  wog.        Woman,      Au-quay,  pi.  wog. 
Old  man,  Au-ke-wa-ze,  pi.  yog.  Old  woman,Me-de-mo-yay,  yog. 

Ae,  yes.  Kau,  no.  Nau-go,  now. 

Ka-ge-te,  truly  80.  Kau-win,  no  (emphatic).  Au-zhon-daw,  here. 

Pe-nau !  hark  I  Ka-go,  don't.  E-wo-te,  there. 

Pa-kau,  stop.  Kaw-ga-go,  none.  Ne-gon,  before. 


Aush-kwe-yong,  behind. 
Pe-tchi-naw-go,  yesterday. 
Pe-tchi-nog,  just  now. 
Au-no-maw-yaw,  lately. 
Au-gaw-won,  hardly. 
Au-pe-tchi,  very. 
Kay-gaw,  almost. 
Mou-zhawg,  always. 
Ne-sawb,  alike. 
Pin-dig,  inside. 


Ne-se-wo-yaw-ing,  between. 
Wau-bung,  to-morrow. 
Wau-e-baw,  soon. 
Way-wib,  quickly. 
Naw-a-gotch,  slowly. 
0-je-daw,  purposely. 
Saw-kou,  for  example. 
Me-naw-gay-kaw  1  to  be  sure  I 
Kaw-maw-me-daw,  can't. 
Pin-di-gayn,  come  in. 


OBAMMAR. 


121 


We-yaw, 

O-dib, 

0-te-gwan, 

Odon, 

Osh-ke-zheg, 

0-no-wau-e,* 

Otch-awsh, 

O-daw-me-kon, 

0-da-naw-naw, 

We-bid, 

We-ne-zes, 

O-kaw-tig, 

O-maw-maw, 

Kaw-gaw-ge,* 

O-kaw-gun, 

0-do-daw-gun, 

O  pe-kwawn, 

O-pe-gay-gun, 

0-me-gawt, 

0-naw-gish, 

Osh-kawt, 

O-kwan, 

O-kun, 

O-nenj, 

O-neek, 

0-dos-kwon, 

0-kawd, 

0-ge-dig* 

O  bwom, 

0-zeet, 

O-don-dim, 

0-ge-tchi-zeet, 

O-ge-tchi-nenj, 


The  body. 

Head. 

Face. 

Mouth. 

Eye. 

Cheek. 

Nose. 

Jaw. 

Tongue. 

Tooth. 

Hair. 

Forehead. 

Eyebrow. 

Palate. 

Neck. 

Throat. 

Back. 

Rib. 

Stomach, 

Bowel. 

Belly. 

Liver. 

Bone. 

Hand. 

Arm. 

Elbow. 

Leg. 

Knee. 

Thigh. 

Foot. 

Heel. 

Big  toe. 

Thumb. 


Pe-nay-shen,  t 

Wing-ge-zee, 

Pe-nay-se, 

Mong, 

Me-zhe-say, 

She-sheb, 

Kaw-yaw'shk, 

Tchin-dees, 

May-may, 

Pe-nay, 

Au-dje-djawk, 

0-me-me, 

Au-pe-tchi, 

Awn-dayg, 

Au-nawk, 

Paw-paw-say, 

Ke-wo-nee, 

Maw-kwa, 

Mooz, 

Me-shay-wog, 

Maw-in-gawn, 

Au-mick, 

Maw-boos, 

Pe-zhen, 

Au-ni-moosh, 

Au-ni-mouns, 

Au-zhawshk, 

Wau-goosh, 

Shaw-gway-she. 

A-se-boiu, 

Me-she-be-zhe,J 

She-gos-se, 

Au-saw-naw-go, 


Bird. 

Eagle. 

Hawk. 

Loon. 

Turkey. 

Duck. 

Gull. 

Bluejay. 

Woodcock. 

Partridge. 

Crane. 

Pigeon. 

Robin. 

Crow. 

Thrasher. 

"Woodpecker. 

Prai-'ie  hen. 

Bear. 

Moose. 

Elk. 

Wolf. 

Beaver. 

Rabbit. 

Lynx. 

Dog. 

Puppy. 

Muskrat. 

Fox. 

Mink. 

Raccoon. 

Panther. 

Weasel. 

Squirrel. 


*  PI.  og;  others  an. 


t  PI.  yog;  X  eg;  others  wog,  og,  g. 


1&2  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

Ke-gon  *  Fish.  Maw-nb-tons,  insect. 

Ke-gons|  (dim.),  minnow.  0-jee,  house  fly. 

Naw-me-gons,  t-     it,  Me-ze-zawk,  horse  fly. 
Maw-zhaw-me-gcr-.a,  brook  trout,  Au-mon,  bumblebee. 

Maw-may,  sturgeon.  Au-moans  (dim.),  bee,  hornet. 

0-gaw,  pickerel.  May-may-gwan,*  butterfly. 

She-gwaw-meg,  dog  fish.  Au-kou-jesh,  louse. 

Au-saw-way,  perch.  Paw-big,  flea. 

0-kay-yaw-wis,  herring.  0-ze-gog,  woodttck. 

Au-she-gun,  black  bass.  A-naw-go,  ant. 

Au-de-kaw-meg,  whiteflsh.  A-a-big,  spider. 

Ke-no-zhay,  pike.  Saw-ge-may,  mosquito. 

Paw-zhe-toun,*  sheep  head.  Mo-say,  cut  worm. 

Maw-maw-bin,  sucker.  0-quay,  maggot. 

*  PI.  yog;  t  sog;  others  wog,  og,  g. 

Paw-gawn,  nut ;  (dim.  paw-gaw-nays,  hazelnut  or  other  small  nut) 

Au-zhaw-way-mish,  pi.  eg ;  beech  tree. 

Au-zhaw-way-min,  pi.  on ;  beech  nut. 

Me-te-gwaw-bawk,  pi,  og ;  hickory  tree. 

Me-gvvaw-baw-ko  paw-gon,  pi.  on ;  hickory  nut. 

Paw-gaw-naw-ko  paw-gon,  pi.  on ;  walnut. 

Me-she-me-naw-gaw-wosh,  pi.  eg;  apple  tree.  , 

Me-she-min,  pi.  og ;  apple. 

8haw-bo-me-naw-gaw-wosh,  pi.  eg;  gooseberry  bush. 

Shaw-bo-min,  pi.  og ;  gooseberry. 

Paw-gay-saw-ne-mish,  pi.  eg;  plum  tree. 

Paw-gay-son,  pi.  og;  plum. 

Aw-nib,  pi.  eg ;  elm.  Aw-doup,  pi.  e^ ;  willow. 

Shin-gwawk,  pi.  wog;  pine.        Ke-zhek,  pi.  og;  cedar. 

Au-bo-yawk,  pi.  wog;  ash.  We-saw-gawk,  pi.  og;  black  ash. 

Me-daw-min,  pi.  og ;  corn.  0-zaw-o-min,  pi.  og ;  yellow  corn. 

]i[is-kou-min,  pi.  og;  red  raspberry. 

Wau-be-mis-kou-min,  pi.  og ;  white  raspberry. 

Wau-kftw-tay-mis-kQU-minj  pi.  og ;  black  raspberrjF* 


ORAMMAB.  1!&8 

Au-KEB ;  the  world,  the  earth,  land,  country,  soil. 

Pay-ma w-te-se-j eg  au-king,  the  people  of  the  world. 

Taw-naw-ke-win,  country  or  native  land. 

Ke-taw-kee-me-naw,  our  country. 

Maw-kaw-te  au-kee,  black  earth  or  soil. 

Me-daw-keem,  my  land. 

Au-ke-won,  soiled ;  also  applied  to  rich  land. 

Ne-besh,  water ;  ne-be-kaw,  wet  land. 

Wau-bawsh-ko-kee,  marsh  land. 

Au-ke-kaw-daw-go-kee,  tamarack  swamp. 

Ke-zhe-ke-kee,  cedar  swamp. 

Au-tay  yaw-ko-kee,  swamp,  swampy  land. 

8hen-gwaw-ko-kee,  pine  land. 

Ne-gaw-we-kee,  sand ;  ne-gaw-we-kaw,  sandy. 

Kong-ke-tchi-gaw-me,  the  ocean. 

Ke-tchi-au-gaw-ming,  across  the  ocean. 

Se-be  (pi.  won),  river ;  se-be-wens  (dim),  (pi.  an,)  brook. 

Ke-te-gawn  (pi.  on),  farm ;  ke-te-gaw-nes  (dim.)»  gt^rden. 

Ke-te-gay  we-ne-ne,  (pi.  wog),  farmer. 

Ke-zes,  sun ;  te-bik-ke-zes,  moon ;  au-nong  (pi.  wog),  star. 

Ke-zhe-gut,  day ;  te-be-kut,  night. 

Ne-bin,  summer;  pe-boon,  winter. 

Ne-be-nong,  last  summer ;  me-no-pe-boon,  pleasant  winter. 

Tau-gwan-gee,  fall ;  me-nou-kaw-me,  spring. 

Au-won-se-me-nou-kaw-ming,  year  ago  last  spring. 

Maw-tchi  taw-gwan-ge,  bad  or  unpleasant  fall. 

No-din,  wind ;  no-wau-yaw,  the  air. 

No-de-naw-ne-mot,  windy. 

To-ke-sin,  calm ;  ne-tche-wod,  stormy. 

Au-pe-tchi  ne-tche-wod,  very  stormy. 

Wig-wom,  house ;  wig-wom-an,  houses. 

Au-sin  wig-wom,  stone  house. 

Au-naw-me-a-we-gaw-mig,  a  church. 

Te-baw-ko-we-ga  we-gaw-mig,  a  court  house. 


124 


OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 


Me-no-say,  handy. 
Au-no-ke,  work.  ' 
Wo-be,  he  sees. 
Pe-mo-say,  he  walks. 
Pe-me-bot-to,  he  runs. 

Get  him,  nawzh. 
Help  him,  naw-daw-maw. 
Call  him,  naw-doum. 
Go  to  him,  naw-zhe-kow. 
Meet  him,  naw-kwesh-kow. 

Ne-dje-mon,  my  boat. 
Ne-dje-bawm,  my  soul. 
Ne-gwes,  my  son. 
Ne-taw-wes,  my  cousin. 
Ne-daw-kim,  my  land. 

He  sleeps,  ne-baw. 
He  is  sleepy,  au-kon-gwa-she. 
He  is  white,  wau-besh-ke-zee. 
He  is  lonely,  aush-ken-dom. 
He  is  killed,  nes-saw. 

Ne-tawn,  first. 
Ne-gon,  before. 
Au-ko-zee,  sick. 
Au-gaw-saw,  small. 


Me-no-sayg,  that  which  is  handy. 
A-no-ket,  he  that  is  working. 
Wau-yaw-bet,  he  that  sees. 
Pe-mo-sayt,  he  that  is  walking. 
Pe-me-bot-tot,  he  that  runs. 

Get  it,  naw-din. 
Help  it,  naw-daw-maw-don. 
Ask  for  it,  naw-dou-don. 
Go  to  it,  naw-zhe-kon. 
Meet  it,  naw-kwesh-kon. 

Ne-dje-may,  I  paddle. 
Ne-do-ge-mom,  my  master. 
Ne-daw-nes,  my  daughter. 
Ne-kaw-nes,  my  brother. 
Ne-ne-tchaw-nes,  my  child. 

He  is  dead,  ne-bou. 
He  died,  ke-ne-bou. 
He  is  afraid,  sa-ge-ze. 


He  is  lazy,  ke-te-mesh-ke. 

He  is  well,  me-no-pe-maw-de-ze. 

Ne-tawm  ke-taw-gwe-shin,  he  came  first. 
Ne-gon-ne,  he  goes  before. 
Au-ko-ze-we-gaw-mig,  hospital.       [plate. 
0-gaw-sawg  o-naw-gun  pe-ton,  bring  small 
Au-gaw-won,  scarcely.  Au-gaw-won  ne-wob,  I  scarcely  see. 

Once,  ne-go-ting.  Only  once,  ne-go-ting  a-taw. 

Not  there,  ne-go-tchi.  Look  elsewhere,  ne-go-tchi  e-naw-bin. 

Change,  mesh-kwot.  He  is  elsewhere,  ne-go-tchi  e-zhaw. 

Full,  mosh-ken.  It  is  elsewhere,  ne-go-tchi  au-tay. 

Fill  it,  mosh-ke-naw-don.  Change  it,  mes-kwo-to-non. 
8aw-kon,  go  out.  Pe-saw-kon,  come  out. 

Maw-tchawn,  go  away.  Pe-maw-tchawn,  come  away. 

Pe-to,  to  bring.  Pe-ton,  fetch  it. 


GRAMMAR.  125 

Ash-kom,  more  and  more.  Nos,  my  father. 

Ash-kom  so-ge-po,  more  and  more  snow.  Kos,  your  father. 

Ash-kom  ke-me-wau,    "         "     rain.    0-sawn,  his  father. . 

Ash-kom  ke-zhaw-tay,  hotter  and  hotter.  Ne-gaw-she,  my  mother. 

Ash-kom  ke-se-naw,  colder  and  colder.   Ke-gaw-she,  your  mother. 

E-ke-to,  saying.  E-ke-ton,  say  it. 

E-ke-to,  he  says.  Ke-e-ke-to,  he  said. 

Kay-go  mon-daw  e-ke-to-kay,  do  not  say  that. 

E-wau,  he  says  [the  same  as  e-ke-to,  but  used  only  in  third  person 
and  cannot  be  conjugated]. 

E-naw-bin,  look ;  e-naw-bin  au-zhon-daw,  look  here. 

A-zhawd,  going ;  au-ne-pe  a-zhawd  ?  where  did  he  go  ? 

E-wo-te,  there ;  me-saw  e-wo-te  au-daw-yon,  there  is  your  home. 

Au-zhe-me,  there ;  au-zhe-me  au-ton,  set  it  there. 

Au-ne-me-kee,  thunder ;  au-ne-me-ke-kaw,  it  thundered. 

Awsh-kon-tay,  fire ;  awsh-kon-tay  o-zhe-ton,  make  some  fire. 

On-je-gaw,  leaked ;  on-je-gaw  tchi-mon,  the  boat  leaked. 

Kaw-ke-naw,  all ;  kaw-ke-naw  ke-ge-way-wog,  all  gone  home. 

Ke-wen,  go  home.  [This  verb  always  implies  home,  but  the  em- 
phatic expression  is  ke-wen  en-daw-yawn.] 

Son-gon  (inanimate),  son-ge-ze  (animate),  tough. 

Se-gwan,  spring ;  se-gwa-nong,  last  spring  (Chippewa  dialect). 

Me-gwetch,  thanks ;  me-gwe-tchi-me-au,  he  is  thanked. 

Taw-kwo,  short ;  on-sawm  taw-kwo,  too  short. 

Ke-me-no-pe-maw-tis  naw  ?    Are  you  well  ? 

Ae,  ne-me-no-pe-maw-tis.    Yes,  I  am  well. 

Ke-taw-kos  naw  ?    Are  you  sick  ? 

Kau-win  ne-taw-ko-si-sy.    No,  I  am  not  sick. 

Au-ne-pish  kos  e-zhat  ?    Where  did  your  father  go  ? 

0-day-naw-wing  ezhaw.    He  is  gone  to  town. 

Ke-ge-we-sin  naw  ?    Have  you  eaten  ? 

Ae,  ne-ge-aush-kwaw-we-sin.    Yes,  I  have  done  eating. 

Ke-baw-kaw-tay  naw  ?    Are  you  hungry  ? 

Kaw-win,  ne-baw-kaw-tay-sy.    No,  I  am  not  hungry. 


19$  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA 

Pe-mo-say-win,  walking  (noun) ;  ne-pe-mo-say,  I  walk. 

Aum-bay  paw-baw-mo-aay-taw,  let  us  go  walking. 

Ne-ge-paw-baw-mo-say,  1  have  been  walking;. 

Ne-ge-paw-baw-mish-kaw,  I  have  been  boat  riding. 

Aum-bay  paw-baw-mish-kaw-daw,  let  us  go  boat  riding. 

Maw-tchawn,  go  on,  or  go  away. 

Maw-tchawn  we-wib,  go  on  quickly. 

Ke-maw-tchaw-wog,  the  have  gone. 

Aum-bay  maw-tchaw-taw,  let  us  go. 

Wau-saw  e-zhaw,  he  is  gone  far  aw^iy. 

We-kau-de-win,  a  feast;  we-koum,  I  invite  him  (to  a  feast). 

We-kau-maw-wog,  they  are  invited  (to  a  feast). 

Maw-zhe-aw,  overpowered ;  maw-zhe-twaw,  victorious. 

Mou-dje-ge-ze-win,  or,  me-naw-wo-ze-win,  rejoicing. 

Mou-dje-ge-ze,  or,  me-naw-wo-ze,  he  rejoices. 

Au-no-maw-yaw  ke-daw-gwe-shin,  he  came  lately. 

Au-pe-tchi  ke-zhaw-tay^  it  is  very  hot. 

Ke-tchi  no-din,  it  is  blowing  hard. 

Paw-ze-gwin  we-wib,  get  up  quickly. 

lie-no  e-naw-kaw-me-got,  good  news. 

Me-no  e-naw-kaw-me-got  naw  ?    Is  it  good  news  ? 

She-kaw-gong  ne-de-zhaw-me,  we  are  going  to  Chicago. 

She-kaw-gong  on-je-baw,  he  came  from  Chicago 

Saw-naw-got,  difficult  to  overcome. 

Saw-naw-ge-ze,  he  is  in  diflSculty. 

8aw-naw-ge-ze-wog,  they  are  in  difficulty. 

Sa-ge-ze,  he  is  frightened ;  sa-ge-ze-win,  fright. 

Ke-gus-kaw-naw-baw-gwe  naw  ?    Are  you  thirsty  ? 

Au-pe-tchi  ne-gus-kaw-naw-gwe.    1  am  very  thirsty. 

Me-naw  au-we,  give  him  drink. 

Ne-bish  me-naw,  give  him  water  to  drink. 

0-daw-kim  o-ge-au-taw-wen,  he  sold  his  land. 

0-da  paw-gaw-awn,  the  heart  beats. 

0-da  me-tchaw-ne,  he  has  a  big  heart 


OBAMMAB.  1917 

Ke-ne-SG-to-totn  naw  ?    Do  you  understand  ? 
Ke-ne-se-to-tow  naw  ?    Do  you  understand  me  ? 
Kau-win,  ke-ne-se  to-tos-no.    No,  I  do  not  understand  you. 
Ke-no-dom  naw  ?    Do  you  hear  ?    Ae,  ne-no-dom.    Yea,  I  hear. 
Ke-pe-sen-dom  naw  ?    Do  you  listen  ? 
Ke-maw-ne-say  naw  ?    Are  you  chopping  ? 
Maw-tchi  e-naw-kaw-me-got  naw  ?    Is  it  bad  news  ? 
We-go-nash  wau-au-yaw  mon  ?    What  do  you  want  ? 
Au-nish  aii-jpe-daw-taw-gwe-she  non  ?    When  did  you  come  ? 
Au-ne-pesh  a-zhaw  yoti  ?    Where  are  you  going  ? 
Au-ne-pesh  weh-dJe-baW  yon  ?    Where  are  you  from  ? 
Au-ne-dosh  wau-e-ke-to  yon"?    Wliat  shall  you  say  ? 
Au-nish  mon-daw  e-naw-gen  deg  ?    What  is  the  price  ? 
Maw-ne-say,  he  chops ;  ma-ne-sayt,  he  that  chops. 
Ne-bwa-kaw,  wise ;  ne-bwa-kawt,  he  that  is  wisd. 
Na-bwa-kaw-tchig,  they  that  are  Wise. 
Wa-zhe-tou-tchig  awsh-kou-te,  they  that  make  fire. 

O-zhe-tou  aush-ko-tay  pin-je  ke-zhaw-be-ke-se-guil, 
Make  fire  in  the  stove. 

Wen-daw-mow  way-naw-f>aw-nod  ^u-zhoh-daw, 
Tell  him  the  cheap  place         is  here. 

Wen -daw-mow  e-naw-kaw-m^-gok,  tell  him  the  news. 

Taw-bes-kaw-be.  Taw-be-e-shaw  au-zhon-daw. 

He  will  come  back.  He  will  come         here. 

On-je-baw.  Wow-kwing  on-Je-baw. 

Coming  from.  He  comes  from  heaven. 

Nau-go,  now ;  nau-go  a-ge-zhe-gok,  to-day. 
Te-besh-kou,  same,  even ;  ta-te-besh-kon,  even  with  the  other. 
To-dawn  mon-daw  e-ne-taw,  do  that  as  I  tell  you. 
Pe-sen-dow,  listen  to  him ;  pe-sen-do-we-shin,  listen  to  me. 

Me-saw-wen-dje-gay.  Me-saw-me-dje-gay-win. 

He  covets.  Coveting. 


128  OTTAWA  AND  CHIPPEWA  6RAMMAB. 

E-zliaw-yon  gaw-ya  ne-ne-gaw  e-zhaw. 
If  you  will  go  and        also        I  will  go. 

0-je-daw  ne-ge-to-tem  tchl-baw-ping. 
Purposely    I  did  it      to  make  laughter. 

Kaw-win  ke-taw-gawsh-ke-to-se   tchi-gaw-ke-so-taw-wod   mau- 
ni-to,  you  cannot  hide  from  God. 

Maw-no-a-na-dong  taw-e-zhe-tchi-gay,  let  him  do  what  he  thinks. 

A-naw-bid.  E-naw-bin  a-naw-bid. 

In  the  way  he  looks.  Do  look    in  th^  way  he  looks. 

Au-nish  a-zhe-wa-bawk  mon-daw? 
What        is  the  matter    with  that  ? 

Au-nish  a-zhe-we-be-sit  au-we? 
"What     is  the  matter  with  him  ? 

Au-nish  a-naw-tchi-moo-tawk  ? 
What       did  he  tell  you  ? 

E-zhaw.  Au-ne-pish  kaw-e-zhawd  ? 

He  went.  Where       did  he  go  ? 

E-zhaw-wog.  Harbor  Springs  ke-e-zhaw-wog. 

They  went.  They  went  to  Harbor  Springs. 

Ne-daw-yaw-naw  e-naw-ko-ne-ga-win. 
We  have  a  rule,  or,  a  law. 

0-we-okwon  o-ge-au-taw-son. 
His  hat         he  pawned. 

Nebe-me-baw-to-naw-baw  au-pe  pen-ge-she-naw. 
I  was  running  when         I  fell. 

Note. — Except  some  condensation  and  arrangement  in  the  gram- 
mar, this  work  is  printed  almost  verbatim  as  written  by  the  author.— 
[Editor. 


